


Exploration of Feelings: The very thing Byakuya Togami has been avoiding for five years

by Anonymous



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Byakuya is more than just a rich bitch, Chatfic elements (not much), Crying, DR3 doesn’t exist mainly bc I haven’t finished it yet, Future Foundation (Dangan Ronpa), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Set 5 years post thh, Takes places after DR2, byakuya needs help with his feelings, kyoko is the ultimate wingwoman, makoto is cool as fuck, slow burn?, they all have trauma, which is fucking understandable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26408452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: The survivors of the Hope’s Peak Killing Game realise they’ve never properly discussed the impact it had on them. Byakuya really doesn’t want to involve himself with the ‘pretend therapy’ Makoto’s scheduled for them, but he knows he has to attend, and it has quite the effect on him.
Relationships: Naegi Makoto/Togami Byakuya
Comments: 64
Kudos: 186
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

Now that the Remnants of Despair were going through proper rehabilitation (after Makoto’s persistent demands to the higher ups), Byakuya found that the workload of Branch 14 was lessening. Towa City was gradually becoming safer, there were less riots breaking out globally, there were even talks of rebuilding school districts and reinstating governing bodies. Which meant that he had more time to himself, a luxury he hasn’t been able to claim since those brief breaks during the Killing Game.  
He feels his jaw twitch involuntarily at the thought of that godforsaken period of his life.  
No matter how hard he tries, his feelings about it don’t seem to be able to be pushed away. It’s frustrating, because it was interfering with his desire to relax, and the memories were still just as vivid as though he were reliving them, over and over.  
Memories...  
After they’d become members of the Future Foundation, the survivors of Hope’s Peak were given small doses of serum to reinstate their memories of The Tragedy, and their lives before.  
Sometimes, Byakuya wished they hadn’t done that. Wished he could have just acknowledged the event, and remain detached from it.  
But that’s not beneficial for the cause, and he’s well aware of that. They needed to know everything that had happened in order to work to spread hope across the world. Needed to know how just how bad it had been.  
But it wasn’t necessarily the memories of The Tragedy that he lamented regaining.  
No, it was life pre-despair.  
Regularly, Byakuya would be plagued by visions of himself interacting with his various fallen classmates.  
Discussion of the virtue of manners with the slut that was Leon Kuwata. Arguing the worth of pop music with Sayaka. Butting heads with Sakura over ethics, bonding with Celeste over money, berating Hifumi for the drivel that was his fanfiction, debate with Taka and Mondo about the usefulness of different talents, sharing quiet moments with Mukuro, disdainfully sneering about terrible commoner fashion choices with Junko...  
But it’s his memories with Chihiro that were the worst. Their talks about programming, Byakuya having basic knowledge of it, as with most important talents, Chihiro proudly smiling after Byakuya had complimented his progress on Alter Ego, the fact that Byakuya had even offered Chihiro access to Togami Corporation resources...  
There was no doubt about it, he and Chihiro had been friends.  
In fact, he’d go so far as to say that Chihiro had been his first friend.  
Chihiro Fujisaki. As in, the boy who’s body he had toyed with for the sake of making the “game” more fun.  
It made his skin writhe every single time he thought about. Made him feel sick to his stomach as he remembered how twisted he’d been.  
Every time those feelings crowded his head, Byakuya did the mature thing and distracted himself in an effort to run from the torment, threw himself into even the most menial of tasks to stop his own brain from turning against him.  
If it were up to him, he’d prefer to turn off his feelings, permanently. They were completely unnecessary, no conceivable function.  
Everyone else seemed like they were coping well... maybe it was just a problem with him. Didn’t make sense, considering Byakuya was the perfect specimen, but it was the most logical explanation for why Aoi wasn’t constantly a barrage of emotions. Why Hiro seemed apathetic, why Toko was her usual self, why Kyoko was always so levelheaded, why Makoto could remain so optimistic.  
Oh Makoto.  
The level of respect Byakuya had for that man was astronomical, which was nonsensical when you considered how average the Ultimate Hope was. Byakuya didn’t respect anyone except himself, and it had stayed that way for so long. But Makoto was one of a kind in so many ways, despite how ordinary he seemed at a base level. Usually, Byakuya was pretty good at figuring out exactly how people’s brain worked, it was useful for when he needed to manipulate the lower class back in the day, but he had no idea what was going on in Makoto’s head. And it was so interesting, sparked so much curiosity, that Byakuya couldn’t help but want more of Makoto, just to understand the enigma.  
Just to one day be as admirable as him.

[Makoto added five people to the group]  
[Makoto changed the group name to ‘8th september 12pm room 3C at FF HQ’]  
Makoto: hi everyone!  
Makoto: its been a while since we were all together  
Makoto: and i think that now the effects of the tragedy r calming down we should talk  
Makoto: about everything  
Kyoko: The group name is the date and location?  
Makoto: yea  
Hiro: EVERYTHING??? like meaning of the universe n shit?  
Aoi: ... he means the killing game  
Aoi: I think  
Toko: I don’t know, things are pretty busy in Towa. Your dumb slut of a sister might not be able to take care of things herself.  
Makoto: u mean ull miss her?  
Toko: I NEVER SAID THAT  
[Byakuya changed the group name to ‘8th September, Room 3-C of Future Foundation Headquarters, noon sharp’]  
Byakuya: Fixed the name. You’re welcome.  
Toko: Well I guess if Master’s going, I suppose I’ll come too then.  
Makoto: great!! see u all then

A whole meet-up dedicated to discussing the Killing Game. Maybe Byakuya wasn’t the only one affected by painful emotions after all.  
Unless this was all a ploy for some kind of intervention, Makoto figuring out how weak Byakuya really is, and stepping in to either berate him for his pitiful behaviour, or just to try and force him to talk about his feelings like some kind of child.  
That seemed like a very paranoid thought. A very extreme thought.  
‘It’s possible though.’ The voice in his head pointed out.  
Ugh. When had he gotten so overly anxious about something as simple as a meeting?  
His former self would mock him right now, such ridiculous thinking.  
Byakuya Togami knew full well that something was wrong with him, but he refused to dwell on that.

Being late was something for fools. Byakuya was never late to anything.  
Except the very informal discussion Makoto wanted to have.  
Sure, it may have been he himself that changed the time to ‘noon sharp’ specifically, but no one would mind too much, right?  
It was only fifteen minutes.  
That’s not necessarily late. And it’s not like anyone is going to call him out on it. As long as he carried himself with his usual dignified air, no one could touch him.  
Probably.  
Ugh. His growing self doubt was infuriating.  
“Dude! Where ya been? Mak was totally about to send a search party out for you!” Hiro was the first person he made contact with, the second he opened the door to the room. The fortune teller threw his arm around Byakuya’s shoulder, creasing his painstakingly ironed shirt collar.  
“Byakuya! Since when are you late for anything?” Makoto smiles at him I greeting.  
“S-Stop dirtying Master with your f-filth, you h-homeless piece of trash!” Toko folded her arms at Hiro, on the same page as Byakuya for once.  
As Hiro relinquishes him from a headlock, Byakuya glances again at Makoto.  
Since they’d joined the Foundation, Naegi had gotten tall. Real tall. And his hair got progressively more tolerable to look at through the years, his baby face had gone, and he looked generally more solid, his Foundation training giving him a taste for workouts. Ordinarily, Byakuya wouldn’t pay attention to the change, as it had happened gradually, slipping under his radar, but his recent recurring dreams of high school life really brought to life the difference between the past and present Makoto.  
Makoto was nice to look at either way.  
Byakuya shook the thought off in a hurry. Thinking about Makoto like that made him feel foolish.  
“Now that we’re all here...” Aoi shifted. “Do we really have to talk about it?”  
Kyoko nods. “We can’t keep running away. Now that things are calming down, it’s prime time to start dealing with everything that’s happened.”  
“Exactly. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been having more and more flashbacks lately. I guess it’s ‘cause there’s barely any work to distract me from it. So I figured... it would be good for everyone to talk about it. To support each other.” Makoto looked at everyone carefully. “Obviously, you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I just thought it would be nice, for us to be together while we work through all our stuff.”  
“T-Trauma is pretty h-hard to talk about.” Toko looks at her shoes. “But, I think it’s the r-right thing to do.”  
Trauma?  
Byakuya doesn’t have trauma. Don’t be ridiculous. He’s a Togami, he’s flawless, he’s the pinnacle of humanity, he - he shouldn’t have trauma.  
He was better than that. Trauma would make him pathetic and weak, and-  
“So where do we start?” Hiro rubbed his chin, interrupting Byakuya’s train of thought.  
“Uh... If anyone wants to say anything, that’s cool, but if not, I’ll open things up.” Makoto looks around, and the silence is so terribly awkward for a moment.  
This is stupid.  
Byakuya doesn’t need to be here. Makoto’s even said he can leave if he wants.  
And yet, Byakuya doesn’t move from his seat. He can’t. He needs to know if he’s alone in his distress. Except Togami’s were supposed to be okay with being alone. That’s - That’s what he’d always been told.  
“I miss Sakura.” Aoi mumbles, just as Makoto’s about to speak again.  
Byakuya clenches his fist, digging his nails into his palm. He’d been so unnecessarily cruel to Sakura. She’d done nothing but try and save them, and he’d spat insults at her every moment they’d interacted during the game, and the remorse he was wracked with was painful.  
“She was so strong, and brave, and she was my closest friend. Even after our memories were wiped, I knew I loved her, and she loved me. She didn’t do I anything wrong... and her trial, I - I’m sorry. I tried to get everyone killed, because I fell for Monokuma’s - Junko’s - stupid trick. I miss her so much, all the time. Sh-She was my first kiss. And sometimes I think she might have been the last.” Hina was getting more and more teary. “I don’t think I’ll love anyone as much as her. I can’t move on. I know it’s been five years, b-but I just - I love her so much.”  
She dissolved into sobs, and Makoto put his arm around her, patting her back.  
Byakuya felt himself shake.  
Sakura. Sakura. Sakura Ogami.  
The strongest woman ever, and they’d helped cause her death.  
Well, that wasn’t fair to the others.  
Byakuya had caused her death. Maybe if he hadn’t acted as though her being a ‘traitor’ was a reason she should die, she wouldn’t have resorted to suicide to prove her intentions were pure. Maybe if he’d been more understanding, more willing to listen, she’d be sitting here too.  
...  
Had he ever apologised for it? Had he ever apologised for any of it?  
He’d instigated so much shit during the game. He had fucked things up time and time again, for the sake of entertaining himself.  
He’d imagined killing Makoto, killing Kyoto, or manipulating Toko into murder before offing her himself, just for the pride of winning a deadly game.  
An apology would be the right thing to do.  
But the words are stuck in his throat, and he can only watch Aoi sob with a blank expression.  
“You and Sakura kissed?” Hiro interrupted her cries with a tonedeaf question.  
“Yeah, so? What? You have a problem with that?!” Aoi glares at him with reddened eyes, chest heaving with her breaths.  
“No!” Hiro stuck his hands up defensively. “I just didn’t realise it was like that for you guys too.”  
Aoi tipped her head. “Too?”  
“Haha, yeah, Leon and I made out a couple times when we were drunk. Before the game, obviously. Honestly, it kind of sucks knowing I felt pretty apathetic about his execution at the time. I just cared about my own safety. Leon was such a good dude! He scored me pot all the time, didn’t even charge me for it... Heh. One time Taka found us smoking in one of the school gardens, and we had to beg him not to snitch.”  
“T-Taka was surprisingly e-easy to bribe.” Took stares at the floor. “One time, h-he caught me... skipping class. And all I had to do was h-help him write a love letter.”  
“That’s how he and Mondo got together?” Kyoko smiled sadly. “It makes sense. Neither of them seemed willing to make the first move.”  
Byakuya swallows the lump in his throat. He’d constantly disobeyed Taka’s demands about meeting in the dining hall at breakfast to ensure people’s safety. They’d always had a similar sleeping schedule... Maybe if he’d gotten up to meet with him that day, before he was attacked by Hifumi, Taka wouldn’t have been murdered.  
“Mondo and Taka were dating?” Makoto seemed genuinely surprised.  
“The whole school knew about it!” Hina giggles with a sniff, wiping her eyes. “I can’t believe you’re so oblivious.”  
“Hey! Leave me alone! You’re oblivious too, or did you forget about the Strawberry Incident?”  
“Sh-Shut up! Only Sakura’s allowed to tease me about that.” Aoi’s short-lived smile quickly fades. “Do you think there as anything I could’ve done to save her?”  
“It’s not like you’re the one who drove her to suicide.” Hiro shrugs, and Byakuya feels his chest tighten when Aoi’s glance flickers to him.  
She blamed him. Of course she did. It made sense.  
Now was prime apology time... and he still didn’t have the strength to do that.  
“... I think about Celeste a lot.” Kyoko folds her arms around herself, tone and expression very guarded. “Specifically her execution. Every time I see fire, I - I’m sure you can figure it out.”  
“Me too.” Makoto is quiet. “It keeps me up at night... All of their deaths do.”  
So Byakuya isn’t the only one. That’s a relief. It’s normal to have the bodies of your friends seared into your brain every time you close you eyes.  
“Chihiro’s body is one of the worst for me, yknow? Like, that little dude didn’t deserve that.” Hiro’s words were bland, as though he wasn’t sitting right next to the man that had messed with a position for Chihiro for the sake of drama.  
Byakuya feels his peer’s eyes turn to him, and he can’t meet any of them, he just stares at his slightly shaky hands.  
Why are they shaking?  
He’s been keeping such good control over himself for five years, why is everything coming to fruition now?  
“Leave Master alone! H-He just wanted to make things m-more fun.” Toko huffs.  
“Right. I forgot that watching our friends kill each other was fun for you.” Aoi’s voice is venomous. “My mistake.”  
Byakuya doesn’t reply. He can’t, everything feels overwhelming, his heart is beating a mile a minute, his head replaying the way he messed with Chihiro’s still warm corpse. Tying the ropes. Dipping his finger into the boy’s blood, writing carefully on the wall. The way he’d watched Mondo leave before making his entrance to the locker room, not even a flicker of anger towards the biker. Because Mondo had played the game, and Byakuya had respected him for that.  
“You actually haven’t said anything Byakuya... Are you just super unfazed? ‘Cause that’s a little cold, bruh.” Hiro’s voice penetrates his wall of thoughts.  
It would be nice if he was unfazed. It would be easy if he was unfazed. Maybe if he just pretended he was, he’d be able to eventually banish his feelings for good.  
So he opens his mouth, ready to dismiss the ridiculous idea that he had any emotional response to the game at all, ready to slam a barrage of insults towards all of them.  
He’s ready to do that, and he tries, but all that comes out is a loud sob.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Major TW from this point onwards!  
> Vague descriptions of the emotional and physical abuse Byakuya suffered from his dad that I think very likely happened whenever he slipped up! Please click away if this could potentially upset you! I want you to stay safe <3

Fuck. That was not the right noise.  
He clears his throat, ready to completely override the pathetic whimper, except it seems the floodgates have opened, and now there’s no stopping it, despite attempts.  
Byakuya is sitting here, surrounded by five lowlifes, crying his eyes out. This is the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to him.   
On the rare occasion that he did tear up, it was only during his weakest moments, and in secure privacy, because in his world, the minute you showed vulnerability, you’d lost.  
He was a perfect specimen. He shouldn’t be crying over something from so longer ago, especially not in front of people.  
“Wait, Byakuya, what the fuck?” Hiro’s voice sounded distant.  
All Byakuya could really hear was Junko’s chilling laugh, a thousand baseballs pelted into a body, the revving of a motorcycle, the crackling of flames, the crushing of a computer screen, the thudding of a conveyer belt. All he could see was blood, blood everywhere, Sakura’s slumped form, Hifumi gasping for breath, Chihiro strung up by cords.  
He digs his nails into his scalp, head in his hands, trying to hide his face and preserve as much dignity as possible. If only his shoulders would stop shaking. If only his sobs would quieten. If only his thoughts would go away.  
If only he’d been a better person.  
He had been such an asshole, focused entirely on his own gain. Why hadn’t someone offed him? It would’ve made things much easier for everyone. He was the one to constantly sow seeds of distrust after all.  
Someone puts a hand on the small of his back, and Byakuya can just tell it’s Makoto. The touch is so gentle, yet so supporting at the same time, and then Makoto’s other hand squeezes his own.  
“It’s okay Byakuya.” His voice is so soft. “We’re here.”  
And that was precisely the problem.  
Byakuya didn’t deserve their support. He hadn’t done anything to redeem himself. They just stuck with him because... Why? Why did they insist on including him in their friend group?  
Byakuya refused to acknowledge they were friends in the first place, and yet he was still welcomed every single time.  
He wanted to ask, he did, but he didn’t need to seem even more pathetic than he already did.  
So he summoned all of his strength and stood up, away from the safety of Makoto’s warmth, and walked out.  
No one followed him, which was both a relief and slightly painful.  
Of course they didn’t follow him. He wasn’t their friend. He was just the local asshole.  
Byakuya had enough dignity left to not wipe his eyes on his sleeve like a peasant, instead whipping out his handkerchief, and rubbing it desperately over his face as he kept walking, pace hasty.  
But the tears didn’t stop coming. He just had to get to his assigned room, and wait it out in there.

[Makoto started a conversation.]  
Makoto: im here if u need to talk  
Makoto: ur not the same person u we’re back then  
Makoto: i believe in u  
Makoto: and ur welcome to our next session!! next week same time  
Byakuya: Okay.

Initially, he’d just wanted to leave Makoto on read. But he knew that would just make him more of a dick, and he needs to start making reparations. So he replied, definitely blunt, but it was still something.  
Byakuya was a bad person.  
He’d always known that, to some extent. What kind of good person would step over hundreds, just to get a chance of being on top? What kind of good person looked down on others, and only did anything for their own gain?  
Someone who wasn’t good at all.  
He’s just never felt guilty about it before. He didn’t need to, he’d had a massive corporation and financial heaven, that was enough to distract him from his deeds. It helped that he’d been practically trained to ignore and hurt and use others just to add another coin to the piggy bank.  
But that was gone.  
Without that, what did he have to show for himself? An empty husk of a last name, and nothing else.  
Byakuya glared at his reflection.  
Internally, he knew he needed to make things right. He needed to properly apologise, no, maybe even stoop so low as to grovel, and he needed to atone.  
Even working to restore the world with the Foundation had been selfish. He was only doing it to reinstate the Togami name, not because he cared about others suffering.  
He was a truly rotten man. Maybe he deserved every second of internal torture his memories helpfully provide.  
‘Trauma’  
That’s what Fukawa had said...  
Byakuya doesn’t have that. Things weren’t as bad for him as they were for others. He’d even caused some of their trauma.  
He closed his eyes, only to snap them open when he saw Chihiro’s lifeless eyes seared into his retinas.  
An apology. To everyone. That’s what he had to do.  
Except the idea of doing that was sickening.  
If his father were to see him now, snivelling and contemplating something as lowly as apologising...  
He probably wouldn’t have been allowed to eat for a few days.  
A small laugh escapes his lips. And it gets louder, and more deranged, and he is most definitely going insane, sitting on the floor of his room and cackling while tears fall from his eyes.  
Byakuya deserved a punishment. The survivors needed to punish him.  
He’ll go to the next meeting, because hearing everyone talk about what’s happened is torture, and that’s the kind of thing he needs.  
Because Byakuya Togami is evil.  
That’s what he’s realised.

He arrives early this time, walking into a very empty 3-C.  
Past Byakuya would have thought nothing of it. Present Byakuya felt his paranoia climb.  
What if they’d changed the room number so they didn’t have to include him? What if they’d changed the time to avoid him? What if Byakuya had got the day wrong; he was certainly losing his mind enough for that to happen.  
He’s unravelling, standing alone and shivering in a room, so wrapped up in his inner turmoil that he doesn’t notice someone else enter.  
“Byakuya! You came.” Makoto pat his shoulder gently, and he had a reassuring smile on his face. A face that Byakuya had to look UP to see. Seriously, when the fuck did Makoto get taller than him?  
Togami doesn’t reply, just looks at the Ultimate Hope. Was he going to mock him for his outburst last week? Was he going to somehow strip away the little dignity Byakuya had left?  
But Makoto didn’t say anything, just squeezes his shoulder, and looks at him steadily.  
Byakuya wants to fall into his arms and cry some more. Which was terrifying, because he was a Togami, and he didn’t need anyone, he didn’t need embraces or support or comfort.  
And he certainly didn’t deserve it.  
Looking into Makoto’s lovely green eyes, all Byakuya can think about is the way he’d imagined killing him. The way he’d considered so many methods, ready to dispose of him, just for a taste of victory.  
He has enough strength to stop himself from crying again, but he does have to turn away, fingers twitching.  
“Hina’s bringing coffees for everyone.” Kyoko’s voice comes from the doorway. “I already told her we’ll be needing six.”  
So she’d already known he was joining them again. Perhaps she could read him like an open book, as the mask he’d spent years carefully constructing is falling apart.  
If Makoto wasn’t going to say something scathing, Kyoko most definitely will, so Byakuya preps himself for the worst.  
“You’ve been quiet. The higher ups were looking for you on Wednesday. You never skip work.” Her voice is completely monotone, and now she’s standing next to him. “You worried us.”  
Oh.  
That was unexpected. And yet it cut deeper than any insult would have.  
“I’m sure you all have better things to be doing that worrying over something so trivial as a week long absence.” Byakuya surprised himself by being able to maintain a lofty, aloof tone.  
“Perhaps.” Kyoko leaves it there, moving to her seat.  
“You should sit here this time.” Makoto points at the chair next to Kyoko. Byakuya doesn’t have the strength to argue, and Makoto sits next to him.  
Nothing better than being between the two people you planned to murder five years ago. Byakuya bites his lip, and tries to swallow the lump in his throat. If he’s going to apologise, he needs to get over himself. Completely distance himself from everything he’s been taught.  
His father is dead. The corporation doesn’t exist. There is no reason Byakuya needs to maintain his high and mighty act.  
But breaking down his internal biases and childhood teachings is so much harder than it sounds, so he doesn’t say anything.  
“Hey hey, it’s - Oh, Byakuya’s back.” Hiro’s expression going from cheerful to slightly confused does nothing for his confidence.  
Toko and Hina walk in together a few minutes later, each holding three cups of coffee.  
“H-Here’s your coffee Master.” Toko went straight to him, ignoring everyone else.  
“Thank you.” Byakuya hated how wobbly his voice was.  
Toko stares at him. “W-What?”  
Byakuya paused. Oh.  
He’d just lowered himself to the point of thanking Toko, of all people.  
He really was deteriorating. Keeping everything locked up had been working so well, why was he trying to accept his ‘feelings’? It was clearly having far too much of an effect on him.  
“Master j-just thanked me!” Toko started to slip into her delusional, fantasy space, eyes wide and her arms clutched around herself.  
“It meant nothing.” Byakuya spat back. “I must have confused you for someone worthy of gratitude.”  
But Toko just sighs in pleasure, completely ignoring his words.  
“Hey Toko? Why don’t you just, uh, take your seat?” Makoto nudged her back to reality.  
When everyone had settled down, all eyes turned to the lucky student, because Makoto seemed to have developed a knack for leading others.  
“Anyone wanna start off?”  
Silence.  
“Okay! I guess I’ll talk. I’ve been thinking about Sayaka. Yknow, I had a massive crush on her when we were kids, and I guess a little bit during high school too, but, uh, I guess that’s not important. The thing is, we made a promise to each other, when The Tragedy happened, and we all agreed to stay in the school? Yeah. We promised we’d never let the each other get hurt. And - And I couldn’t keep that promise. I feel guilty about it... Like I should’ve done something to stop her death.”  
“But she didn’t keep her side of the deal either.” Byakuya didn’t know why he was talking. “She planned to pin Leon’s murder on you.”  
Silence.  
“Obviously, you were both unaware of your pact at the time. There is no use feeling guilty over something you had no control over.” Byakuya knew he was right. Makoto had nothing to feel guilty about, because Makoto was constantly doing the right thing.  
“Just because you have no concept of guilt doesn’t mean Makoto is just like you.” Aoi sips her coffee judgementally. “Obviously Makoto had no control over Sayaka’s safety or her decisions. But it’s called survivor’s guilt, most people with empathy are capable of understanding that, asshole.”  
Byakuya gives her the best sneer he can muster. “I’m aware. I’m just providing reassurance that there’s nothing to feel guilty about. Unless you think Makoto should feel guilty?”  
“You’re putting words in my mouth!” Hina stands, fists balled.  
“Hey! Guys, calm down. Hina, I’m sure Byakuya was just trying to make me feel better. There’s no reason to fight!” Makoto smiles awkwardly as the swimmer sits down again with a grumble.  
“Haha, remember when we thought it was you who killed Leon?” Hiro cracked the tension with his stupid comment. “You guys were so good at the class trials. Without you... we would’ve been boned! So this is me thanking you for being so smart.”  
Kyoko shook her head. “I’m just glad we managed to keep as many people safe as we could.”  
“D-Do you think it makes me a b-bad person to wish other people had survived?” Toko bit her lip. “I-In liu of someone else?”  
“Probably. But I’m the same... I’d probably make some trades, even though I know that’s kind of twisted.” Aoi didn’t have to look at Byakuya for him to know she was talking about him. Fair enough. They had a fragile sense of solidarity at best, even pre-despair, so her grudge against him was far from unfounded.  
“I would’ve preferred for someone else to have my place.” Byakuya said it as casually as possible, but it still caused alarm in the survivors.  
“What?” Makoto frowns, glancing at him.  
“That... doesn’t sound like something you’d say at all.” Hina eyed him up, as though searching for evidence of a lie.  
Byakuya doesn’t look at any of them, concentrating on the wall.  
“I understand how you feel. I think like that too sometimes.” Kyoko sounds softer than usual, like she’s talking to someone fragile. “From what I can recall, you and Chihiro were very close before The Tragedy, right?”  
Fuck, she has him entirely understood. Byakuya feigns ignorance, because he’s a petty, ostentatious asshole and he cannot let himself slip up and get emotional again.  
“I believe I was a distant acquaintance of everyone. I had no particular attachment to anyone. Objectively speaking, the game perhaps may have concluded earlier had I not been present for it.”  
“... You admitting you stirred shit up?” Hiro, as usual, was questioning the obvious, so Byakuya doesn’t reply.  
“W-What are you saying?! M-Master is perfect... He’s one of the f-few people who deserved to survive!”  
“Who else would you have wanted?” Hina didn’t sound at all wounded by the notion that she might not deserve her life in Toko’s eyes. More curious, actually.  
“M-Mukuro may have been an Ultimate Despair, b-but she understood me. A-And Hifumi... His shitty f-fanfic and manga obsession w-was horrendous, b-but he had a l-lot of literacy talent. They weren’t my f-friends, not like Komaru, b-but they deserved to be h-here.”  
“I didn’t know you and Hifumi ever interacted.” Makoto, with all his knack and charisma, is driving the conversation away from Byakuya’s little statement, which the progeny is incredibly thankful for.  
“Mm, it wasn’t a b-big deal! We j-just read each other’s stuff s-sometimes.”  
“I... I really think Mukuro deserved to live too.” Hina has completely fallen for Makoto’s distraction. “She was so strong, she didn’t deserve to be used by Junko. We used to jog together every morning. One time, she told me I had great form.”  
“Remember the time she and Sakura derailed a lesson by talking about fighting techniques? Taka got so upset! Funky lil dude made the teach’ give us homework to make up for it.” Hiro smiles at the memory, before looking at Makoto. “Didn’t you take Mukuro to prom?”  
“Haha, yeah. Just as friends though.” Makoto rubbed the back of his head bashfully. “Did you even go to prom, Byakuya?”  
“No. I had no time for such childish activities. I had conferences to attend to.” In truth, Byakuya hadn’t done that. He’d caught wind of the fact that Makoto was going with somebody, and for some reason that had completely turned him against the concept of prom.  
Looking back, he’d definitely had a crush on Makoto.  
The green eyed man had moved on, joking about something with Kyoko, and Byakuya paid careful attention to his every action.  
He was an adult now. No time for crushes, especially if he wanted to rebuild his empire.  
Which he did. Definitely. That goal most certainly had never been forgotten about sometimes. It was for sure always at the back of his head.  
It never ever got replaced with daydreams of a more peaceful, domestic life. And even if it did, those daydreams did not contain Makoto. Absolutely not.  
Byakuya shook himself, and made eye contact with Kyoko. She smirked at him.  
For fuck’s sake. Of course she knew, about every single one of his feelings. That was terrifying. She had utmost power over him.  
“You know, I once heard that going through more positive events that occurred during traumatic experiences can help with the healing process. I figured we might give it a try. For example, the connections we’ve forged with each other are very strong. I’d say that is an excellent outcome.” Kyoko announced to the group.  
“But that’s only because we had no one else to rely on! That’s not exactly great.” Hiro sighed, slouched in his chair.  
“Conversely, it’s made us stronger people. I’m not saying that thinking about the good will make the bad go away, I just think we should consider all perspectives.”  
“I got to make friends with everyone twice! That was cool.” Makoto smiles. “And I got to know different sides of people too. I never knew that Mondo was so sensitive about his brother. And I never realised just how strong he and Taka’s bond was.”  
“It really proved that Sakura and I were close. Forging such a strong relationship with the same person twice is pretty hard. Maybe we remembered each other, just a little bit.”  
“I realised it’s totally cool to rely on other people! And that my predictions aren’t something I can lean on too hard.”  
“I-It’s nice t-to know that I have p-people who look out for m-me. And that I can c-control Jill a l-little better.”  
Eyes turned to Byakuya.  
What was he supposed to say?  
‘I learnt that I’m a terrible person’??  
“I suppose I learnt that a prestigious last name has no real worth in a nightmare scenario. I know that now.” Byakuya pauses. “It’s okay to not know the answers to things, too.”  
The conversation becomes lighter, eventually circling back to memories of school life, and it’s all going well until Chihiro is brought up again, causing Byakuya to feel shaky again.  
“Hey! Remember that time Chihiro made that programme that told Byakuya to shut the fuck up whenever he got too high and mighty?” Hina giggled. “Whoever came up with that idea is brilliant. You looked so annoyed!”  
Byakuya smiles a little sadly at the reminder. He recalled exactly what she was talking about.  
“Yes. At least it was somewhat amusing. Unlike a certain someone’s invention of ‘Irritate Byakuya Day’.”  
Hiro started laughing. “That was literally the best idea of my life. You lost your shit, it was hilarious.”  
“It wasn’t. The repercussions I received for my distracted behaviour were unpleasant.”  
“What, an investor pull out because of your messed up hairstyle?” Hina teased.  
Byakuya hesitated. He didn’t exactly feel comfortable telling her that his father had restricted his access to their estate for two months, and ceased all communication with him for twice as long.  
“Something like that.” Byakuya shifted, his shoulder accidentally bumping Makoto.  
“Haha, watch it!” Makoto shoved him back playfully. It’s a gentle knock, nothing even remotely painful, but it still makes Byakuya think about the backhand he used to receive sometimes.  
He leans away from Makoto, lips pulled into a stern frown.  
It was that kind of thing that made him not want to open up. After years and years of being berated for having even basic feelings other than pride, he can’t just tell people how much his insides hurt when he thinks about his fallen classmates.  
Kyoko looks at him again, and tilts her head. “Byakuya. What exactly happened after Irritate Byakuya Day?”  
He grits his teeth. “Nothing that concerns you.”  
“Pfft, just admit you’re mad about how one strand of hair fell out of place.” Hiro snorts.  
“I don’t think that’s it...” Kyoko squinted. “You know, for someone who loves his last name so much, you never really spoke about your family, other than how you competed against all your siblings for your title.”  
“I didn’t think it was anything worth talking about.”  
“... Do you know if your father’s still alive?”  
“He’s dead.”  
It had been the first thing he’d checked once he had the resources to do so. The rush of relief he’d felt once he’d seen the confirmation of a death was something he was so, so guilty about.  
“... I know what it’s like to lose a family member.” Hina sighed. “I know we’re not friends, but I’m willing to listen if you wanna talk about it.”  
“There’s nothing to say. He’s dead. That’s it.”  
Kyoko kept prying. “You are aware it’s okay to have feelings? We know you have them, last week confirmed that. Hiro was beginning to suspect you were a robot.”  
“I told you that in confidence!” Hiro frowns.  
“I don’t have anything to say about it.” Byakuya grunts.  
Makoto interrupts before Kyoko can jab again. “That’s okay. You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”  
“Good. I don’t want to.”  
There’s a moment of quiet.  
“And even if I did want to, I probably couldn’t.”  
Why he’d said that, he had no idea. But Makoto looked at him with such a special soft gaze that it made him want to elaborate.  
“I find it difficult to express emotions. Especially the impertinent ones.”  
That’s it. The first step. He’d taken the first step, and now he was going to be mocked.  
“We can work together on it! Is it like... you don’t know what emotions they are, or you just feel uncomfortable talking about it?”  
Byakuya blinked at Hina. He hadn’t expected her of all people to be willing to help him.  
“The latter.”  
“Would lessening the number of people be helpful? Perhaps if we left you and Makoto alone, that would be better?” Kyoko’s suggestion felt like it had hidden undertones.  
“No. Stop.” Byakuya stiffened. “I’m not doing this.”  
“You’re gonna have to at some point, buddy.” Hiro said.  
Byakuya shook his head. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”  
“But it would be so helpful for you! And it would make you less of an asshole.” Aoi leans back in her seat, smiling at him gently.  
“Leave me alone.”  
“Byakuya... It’s okay, you -”  
Togami interrupts Makoto by standing abruptly.  
“I said leave me alone.”  
And he storms out the door, internally berating himself for being so emotionally constipated.  
Byakuya hated himself at the moment.


	3. Chapter 3

Byakuya collapsed when he made it back to his room, undeterred by Makoto calling him from down the hallway until he decided to give up.  
Good. Makoto should give up on him.  
He deserves better company than Byakuya.  
The progeny feels his breathing start to heavier, and he sinks to his knees. What is wrong with him? This isn’t like him at all. Byakuya Togami isn’t someone who’s falls to pieces just because of a stupid pretend therapy session. He is supposed to be stronger than that. Supposed to be calm, composed, aloof.  
Maybe it’s just a side effect of having more free time. It’s not like these are his actual feelings, his brain is just struggling to cope with what to do now that the world is healing.  
Yes. That must be it. His brain is just challenging him, that’s all.  
And Byakuya never backs down from a challenge. He thrives on difficult competition, always has, raised in an environment full of trials and tribulations.  
What would his father think if he backed down lost a challenge from his own brain?  
Ha.  
Hahahaha.  
Byakuya feels a tear slide down his cheek as he thinks about his father’s stern expressions. He laughs harder.  
“Get a grip. Get a grip.” His whispers are addressed to no one, and he another sob rises from his throat.  
Ugh.  
What a disgusting display of weakness.  
It’s almost as if he’s watching himself through the eyes of a stranger, watching himself shiver and buckle under the weight of his thoughts.  
He’s such a disappointment. It’s a miracle he managed to beat his siblings. Someone like him isn’t strong enough to run an empire, never has been.  
Byakuya can practically hear his father telling him that, the voice loud and echoey in his head.  
He clenches his hand in his hair, tugging on it. Momentary pain to distract from his father’s words.  
It’s okay. He can do this. He just needs to suck it up.  
He just needs to remind himself exactly what it means to be a Togami.  
On shaky legs, he walks over his mirror. At this point, he doesn’t care if scolding his reflection makes him a mad man. Anything that might work, might make all his thoughts stop, it’s worth a try.  
“Stop snivelling. Stop it. You’re better than that. You’re Byakuya Togami, and you’re better than everyone. You’re being pathetic, you’re being weak. Makoto of all people is pitying you. Makoto! You’re really gonna let that filthy commoner look down on you? This type of behaviour is beneath you. You have a global conglomerate to build. Stop whining.” He doesn’t yell, he says it all as calmly as possible, emulating his father’s cool tone that he’d use when dishing out punishment.  
It seems to be working, his breathing getting steadier, no more tears flowing, voice strengthening with every word. His eyes are still a little red, and his hair looks like it’s been dragged through a bush, but this is a much better start.  
Byakuya is not being defeated by something so measly as a little bit of emotion.  
He puffs his chest out, adjusting his glasses, and there’s a knock at the door.

It’s Makoto.  
Of course it is.  
Byakuya can already feel the excellent progress he’s just made on bottling himself up coming undone.  
“Naegi.”  
“Woah, the last name treatment?” Makoto raises a brow. “Are you mad at me?”  
“No.”  
Yes, he definitely was, although he wasn’t entirely sure why.  
“Byakuya... Can I come in? I wanna talk to you.”  
He should tell Makoto to fuck off.  
That’s what he should do. No questions about it.  
And yet, he steps aside, despite every fibre of his being telling him not to.  
Makoto smiles, and strides in. His shoes are muddy.  
It’s not even raining. There is no dirt anywhere near them. How are they muddy??  
Byakuya winces at the new dirt stain on his carpet, but doesn’t say anything.  
“I just wanted to say you can stop coming to the talking sessions.”  
Byakuya’s mouth goes dry.  
“You don’t have to. But, uh, you’ve walked out early both times, and it doesn’t seem like you’re too interested.” Makoto shrugs. “It’s okay. I’m not judging. I guess some people are just better at emotions than others.”  
“What?”  
“It’s cool! I get it! You’re not great at feelings, tons of people-”  
“I’m great at everything.” Byakuya frowns, watching Makoto waver in place a bit. “Better than everyone, actually.”  
“Uhh... Sure!”  
Makoto’s smile is far too bright to be genuine.  
“You don’t believe me.”  
“Byakuya, if you say you’re good at feelings, then I’ll believe you. Not like I know any better.”  
“Good.”  
They stare at each other in silence for a moment.  
“Okay. See you around then!” Makoto goes to leave, and Byakuya doesn’t know what makes him grab his arm to stop him.  
“Please.” It doesn’t mean to slip out, it’s just like Byakuya’s mouth has a mind of it’s own, and he doesn’t even know what he’s asking Naegi for.  
Makoto seems to know though.  
The Ultimate Hope gives Byakuya a little smile, and then wraps his arms around the heir.  
Oh.  
Byakuya feels stiff as Makoto embraces him, unsure what exactly to do with his own arms.  
Is this what he wanted? It’s certainly made all his horrible thoughts stop momentarily, made all his feelings disappear, letting him dissolve into Makoto’s grip and exude nothing but contentedness.  
Is this what it feels like to be hugged? Byakuya’s never done this before, but the idea of reciprocating made him feel a little bit uncomfortable.  
As he rested his head on Makoto’s shoulder, everything felt unknown, felt overwhelming, felt like the world was about to end again, but for some reason, it’s okay. It’s okay, because Makoto’s holding him.  
Byakuya knows nothing, doesn’t know himself, but it’s all going to be okay, because Makoto is keeping him together.  
“You know, a proper hug is usually when both people are holding each other.” Makoto mumbles, and his voice is so, so warm. “Just in case you didn’t know.”  
Byakuya snorts, despite how scarily vulnerable he is right now. “I know how to hug.”  
“Well, you can never be too sure!”  
Byakuya feels his arms wrap around Makoto’s waist of their own accord, and his fingers clutch the back of Makoto’s shirt.  
“You’re a good hugger!” The former lucky student whispers after a while.  
It might have been hours, maybe only minutes, but it doesn’t matter. Makoto is holding him.  
“I told you. I’m great at everything.”  
Makoto laughs, and it’s soft. The way their chests are pressed together feels like a dream come true.  
“I don’t want to talk about my feelings in front of other people.”  
“That’s chill. I’ve already said, you don’t have to come if you don’t wanna.”  
Byakuya nods, focused on the way Makoto’s arms feel against his torso.  
“I think I have to though.” Byakuya waits for any kind of response, but it seems like Makoto’s just listening. “Emotions are pointless. And I want to get rid of them... But you make me want to try to accept them. I suppose they don’t call you the Ultimate Hope for nothing.”  
Makoto puts his hand on Byakuya’s head, threading his fingers through his hair.  
The heir bites his lip as it happens, just in case he involuntarily let’s out a sappy sigh.  
He wants Makoto to hold him forever. It’s a sign that his school crush never went away, and he’s going to have to accept that at one point or another. But for now, all that matters is Makoto stroking the strands of hair on the back of his neck.  
“Well... We could talk just the two of us, if it’s the whole ‘everyone else’ thing that puts you off.”  
Alone time, just him and Makoto, talking about feelings??  
That’s a surefire way to get in bed with him.  
“I have no objections there.” He tries to sound as casual as possible, even though internally he’s already conjuring up a variety of schemes on how to ensure a romantic encounter with Makoto, which is ridiculous, because there are so many more important things to focus on. On the other hand, Byakuya hasn’t been fucked in a while, and the idea of Makoto being the one to fix that has dizzying appeal.  
“Cool. We’ll arrange a time and date later.”  
Makoto lets go, and Byakuya steps away quickly.  
“See ya tomorrow ‘Kuya! I hope you have a good evening!”  
And Makoto slips out, muddying Byakuya’s carpet even more, and there’s a little smile on his face that makes Byakuya think that Makoto knew that this would happen.  
Still. It’s something to look forward to. Something to keep him distracted from the vision of his father’s piercing blue eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Redistribution of wealth was Byakuya’s main job, due to his outstanding background in finance. Of course, there were the occasional coworkers who accused him of funnelling funds into his personal accounts, despite their investigations into it proving he wasn’t.  
That would be a cheap way of getting back his fortune. And everyone knows, a Togami will never take the easy road. When Byakuya rebuilds, he’s going to earn every penny without resorting to extortion or fraud, or whatever else he was being suspected of.  
Right now, however, he was listening to Kyoko’s report; they worked together sometimes, Kirigiri investigating different companies to determine how best to return them to their state before The Tragedy.  
He was slightly distracted though; Makoto was coming over tonight.  
Sure, sure, to try and get Byakuya to talk about his feelings, but if they had a few glasses of wine too, that wouldn’t be bad, right?  
Understanding emotions definitely wasn’t as important as the chance to flirt with Makoto.  
“Byakuya. You’re not paying attention.” Kyoko stares at him and sighs, pushing her file away. “Are you thinking about Makoto visiting you?”  
To his credit, Byakuya only hesitated for a second. Couldn’t hide jack shit from Kyoko.  
“Yes.” He knows his lack of elaboration would probably only help Kyoko connect the dots about his romance plans, but short answers are all he can handle right now.  
“Mhm.” Kyoko gazes at him for another’s moment. “It’s all Makoto’s been talking about.”  
“I’d imagine so. Seems like him to blather on about the opportunity to ‘help’ someone.” Byakuya chose his words carefully, to mask that fact that it kind of dizzied him that Makoto was excited by the prospects of meeting with Byakuya.  
“I think it’s more like he’s flattered that you’ve taken an interest in him.” Kyoko smiles slightly. “He’s gotten much taller, hasn’t he? And he’s so much stronger too. Combined with his winning personality, it’s no wonder he has so many women clamouring after him.”  
“What women?” Byakuya can’t stop himself from spluttering it out. Other people? Trying to get with Makoto?? This is worse than The Tragedy.  
“Oh? Jealous?”  
Byakuya disguises his choke with a few coughs. Kyoko knew about his fondness for Makoto. Almost definitely.  
“Because I assure you, you have just as many girls lining up to get with you. I’m not one, of course, I’m with Naegi, but-”  
“Y-You and Makoto are in a relationship?”  
Kyoko raises a brow. “Oh? That bothers you?”  
Byakuya tries to compose himself. “Of course not. I was simply wondering. It’s called social interaction... I expect someone like you wouldn’t be familiar with that.”  
Kyoko smirks. “In that case, I suppose it would be best to inform you that no, we’re not dating. I just meant that given the options, I’d certainly pick him over you. Have you seen his eyes? Such a lovely brown colour.”  
“They’re not brown, they’re green.”  
Kyoko’s smarmy look gets more intense. “Oh? My mistake. And, of course, I can’t forget that I’d love to wear his jacket. You know, the one that’s his favourite colour?”  
“Makoto doesn’t have a blue jacket.”  
Kyoko smirks. “What’s Hina’s favourite colour? And what colour are Hiro’s eyes? Unless you don’t know, because you’re too busy paying attention to someone else.”  
Byakuya’s eyes widen a little. He’s fallen for Kyoko’s trap, hook line and sinker. There is no way he can hide his attraction now.  
“What will it take for you to not say a word of this?” He hisses, willing to offer anything to keep this secret.  
“I don’t want anything Byakuya. But Makoto isn’t meeting you this evening for romantic purposes, he’s trying to help you with your other emotions. Don’t delude yourself. I don’t want you to get hurt.”  
“I don’t need you to tell me that.” Byakuya sneers. “I’m capable of thinking for myself.”  
“If Makoto has feelings for you, either he hasn’t realised or he’s much better at hiding things than I thought. Just thought it would be best if I let you know before you acted rashly.”  
Byakuya looks at his desk, drumming his fingers. “Whatever. Continue with your report.”  
But she doesn’t. Instead she reaches over and pats his hand gently. “I’m willing to help. Just nudge Makoto in the right direction, or something similar.”  
“Why would you do that? What do you want in return?”  
Kyoko sighs. “You're insufferable. I don’t want anything, I’ve already told you that. I just think that you could make Makoto happy.”  
Byakuya feels himself tense up. He, make Makoto happy?  
“He’s already happy.”  
“Is that what you think?” Kyoko frowns a little. “You really think Makoto spends every moment of his life being happy?”  
Byakuya honestly can’t imagine Makoto any other way. Sure, he’s cried and he’s wallowed and he’s been super upset t times, but it’s always momentary. Makoto seems to just have to blink, and then he’ll perk back up.  
“Makoto’s lost, Byakuya. I can tell. He’s my best friend, and I want the best for him. Right now? I think you might be that best.”  
“But you just said you didn’t think he returned my feelings, or if he did, he was unaware of them.”  
“True. I did say that. But again, if it’s just a matter of realisation, I can help push him towards that. We can think about this strategically. We both want Makoto to be happy.”  
Byakuya nods. Because she’s right. Once he strips away all the internal monologue, all he wants is to see Makoto’s bright smile. Everything else in life is just a bonus.  
“... Do you love him?”  
Byakuya pauses, imagining Makoto’s gorgeous grin, thinks about his blinding optimism, his caring eyes, his gentleness, his determination; the list is endless.  
Fuck. He loves Makoto Naegi.  
“Yes. I love him.”  
“Woah, what! Byakuya loves someone? Who?” Makoto intrudes on their conversation, armed with a clipboard that has a list of names on it.  
“No-one! Is that more finance records for me to look at?” Byakuya oh so desperately needs to steer this conversation to something else.  
“Hmm? They’re records I gotta give to someone else. Spill the beans! We’re gonna be talking about your feelings tonight, I gotta prep romance stuff now.”  
“I really don’t think that’s necessary.” Byakuya works hard to keep his face neutral, keeps himself from blushing out of sheer willpower.  
“I’ll tell you.” Kyoto offers.  
“What? Kirigiri, don’t you dare-”  
“It’s Hiro.”  
Makoto drops the clipboard. “What?”  
“WHAT?” Byakuya stares at her. What the fuck is she saying?!  
“Obviously, Byakuya’s so stuck up that he’s embarrassed about it. But I’m a detective, so it’s not been too hard to work out. I figured I might reach out to support him, you know? Although I suppose you’re the best at emotions, I might be able to leave that to you.”  
“Hiro? As in... our friend, Hiro, fortune telling guy?” Makoto scratches his chin, frowning deeply.  
Byakuya glances at Kyoto who give some him a subtle nod.  
“Yes. I’ve somehow fallen for him, despite all odds. It’s infuriating.”  
“O-Oh. Okay.”  
Is Byakuya imagining things, or does Makoto sound disappointed?  
“Do you have any advice for him, Makoto?” Kyoko blinks up at the Ultimate Hope innocently.  
“Huh? Um... I don’t know. It’s not really my business.” Makoto folds his arms and looks away, brow furrowed. “Just do whatever you feel like, I guess.”  
Byakuya squints at him. “Makoto, are you-”  
“Gotta go pass on this info. See you later.” He leans down, picking up the clipboard, and walks off.  
Byakuya watches him stride away, looking a little upset. Hiro enters the department at that moment, bumping into Makoto.  
And Naegi ignores him, to Hiro’s blatant confusion.  
Oh.  
Byakuya turns back to Kyoko. “Your Ultimate insight would be appreciated here.”  
“Are you stupid? He obviously returns your feelings. Why else would he react like that?” Kyoko stops talking the moment Hiro gets close.  
“Hey dudes! Somethin’ up with Makoto? He looked pissed.”  
Byakuya doesn’t listen to Kyoko’s answer, too busy internally recoiling in disgust at the idea of ever being attracted to this walking garbage fire. He is a man with standards. Hiro can’t even spell properly.  
Surely Makoto must know that Byakuya would choose him over this loud fucker any time of day?

Part of him has been worrying that Makoto was going to ditch their Emotion Discussion plan.  
So it’s a pleasant surprise when Makoto rocks up early, a bashful look on his face.  
“I’m really sorry for acting... like that... earlier. It was probably super hard to admit that you like Hiro, I shouldn’t have made it worse. You’re still willing to talk, right?”  
“Of course.” Byakuya doesn’t know what he’s supposed to say about the Hiro thing. Does he tell him that it was a lie?  
Makoto walks into his room, kicking his shoes off this time.  
“So where do you wanna start? Maybe we can work on your happy feelings before digging at your sad ones.”  
“I think my happiness is perfectly adequate. I have no need to -”  
“You never laugh! And you always look slightly mad at yourself whenever you smile, or loosen up at bit! So I think you could definitely do with a bit of work on that.”  
Byakuya tenses. Makoto pays attention to him like that? Makoto notices all that?  
The idea of Makoto glancing at him, figuring out the hidden feelings behind his stern expressions has Byakuya feeling slightly giddy.  
“So, uh, I figured we could talk about Hiro. If you love him, he probably makes you happy, right?”  
“Uh... Sure.” Byakuya knows he’s back in the familiar depth of nervousness. He just has to act like it’s okay; that’s all. Like a conference.  
“What is it about Hiro? Do you think he’s funny? Because, I dunno, I guess I have a similar sense of humour to him, I could try and make you smile like he might?”  
“It’s nothing specific. It’s just... him. Entirely. I want to smile whenever I’m around him, talking to him is so easy.” Byakuya can feel expression soften as he keeps talking, thinking about all the reasons Makoto makes him want to try. “His optimism feels infectious sometimes. And I suppose he’s funny. Handsome too. I feel like I can turn to him for anything.”  
Makoto is silent for a couple of seconds. “It - It sounds like he really means a lot to you. I guess Kyoko wasn’t joking about how much you’re into him.”  
Byakuya feels his face heat up. He cannot believe Makoto thinks any of what he’s just said be in reference to Yasuhiro, Certified Dumbass. “I suppose she wasn’t.”  
“Well, I want you to be happy Byakuya! So I can help you get with him. If you want.”  
Byakuya glances at Makoto. He looks a little sullen.  
“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. I’m doing things in my own time. Do you need help with anything?”  
“Huh?”  
“I asked if-”  
“I heard, I just don’t think I’ve heard you offer to help anyone, like, ever!”  
“I’ve offered help plenty of times.” Byakuya folds his arms. “I assist you in work all the time.”  
“Yeah, only because that’s job related. I meant with personal stuff.” Makoto knocks their arms together. “Look at you! Young Byakuya could never.”  
“I don’t want to think about past me.”  
“Oh. Sorry.” Makoto withdraws his arm. “But to answer your question, I don’t think I need any help. It’s all good in Makoto town!”  
Byakuya grins at the ridiculous statement, and that makes Makoto smile for some reason.  
“You’re really handsome when you’re happy.”  
Oh fuck. Byakuya knows he’s blushing.  
“Thank you.” He looks away. “You’re... also attractive.”  
Fuck that’s so stupid. He is a fool, a buffoon, that’s such a lame thing to say.  
“Haha, thanks.”  
A moment of silence.  
“Are you really in love with Hiro?”  
Byakuya turns at Makoto’s words; Naegi has his ‘thinking face’ on.  
And no matter how much he wants to, Byakuya can’t lie.  
“No. I’m not.”  
“Then why did Kyoko..?”  
“I suppose she’s keeping my secret.”  
“I, uh, didn’t realise Kyoko’s the person you trust your secrets with.”  
Byakuya rolls his eyes. “I didn’t. She worked it out on her own. Believe me, if I was going to share secrets with someone, she wouldn’t be my first choice.”  
“Oh! Okay. Haha, for a moment, I was kinda worried she’d stolen my best friend spot.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Yknow, I’m your best friend, right?”  
Byakuya stares at him. “Really?”  
“Yeah! I thought you knew that. Maybe you’re dumber than I thought you were.”  
“I’m not dumb!” Byakuya is quick to defend himself at the accusation. “Ask me any math question. I’ll show you, I can -”  
“I was joking ‘Kuya. I know you’re scarily intelligent. You don’t have to jump to prove yourself.” Makoto studies him for a moment. “You can’t handle stuff like that, can you? Do... Do you think you have to make a point to show off how perfect you are?”  
“What about it? I have talent and ability to share with the world, I hardly think it’s a bad thing to -”  
“You think you have to prove yourself because otherwise someone is gonna steal your spot at the top, right?”  
Byakuya opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn’t. Makoto was right after all.  
“Aw, man. It’s okay. You don’t have to do that anymore. You’re not in competition with anyone, not now. You can just be who you wanna be, do what you wanna do, and no one is gonna judge you. Your old life doesn’t exist anymore. I know it sucks you’re not rich now, but don't you think it’s kinda freeing? No more people to fight. No more expectations you can’t reach. Just you, and me, and all our friends, rebuilding the world.”  
“S-Stop that.” Byakuya can feel himself crumbling again. “That’s not - I can’t, I’m a Togami, I’m - Stop it.”  
“It’s okay. You can cry. It’s our special feelings session, remember?” Makoto opens his arms out, and pulls Byakuya into him, one of his hands going to the heir’s head, pretty much cradling it.  
So Byakuya let’s all his walls down, completely shuts his brain off, and just lets himself weep into Makoto’s shirt, words of comfort washing over him.  
“I c-can’t, I’m - I shouldn’t - For fuck’s sake!” Byakuya chokes out between sobs, an automatic response that happens whenever he break down like this.  
“Of course you can. You should. Crying is healthy sometimes. If you get it all out now, it’ll be easier to actually talk through the things! Trust me, me and Kyoko cry with each other all the time.”  
“Kyoko cries?” Byakuya sniffs.  
“Yeah, duh. Everyone cries.”  
There’s another break in conversation as Makoto clutches Byakuya through his shaking and snivelling. It’s so degrading, and makes him feel weak, but underneath everything, he’s glad this is happening. It’s probably long overdue.  
His crying slows down, and he’s still being held tightly, and he doesn’t want to ever leave Makoto’s grasp. Wants to stay nestled in his arms forever.  
“It’s the typical story. My childhood I was brought up to win, that’s it. Any sign of emotion was a weakness that others preyed upon. So I had to hide them if I wanted any sort of approval. One hair out of place, one misstep, anything like that, and my father would... I suppose the punishment depended on the metaphorical crime. That’s all.”  
“That’s all?? Byakuya, that’s kind of a massive deal. No wonder you’re such a standoffish asshole.”  
Byakuya laughs at that. “Mhm. I suppose so.”  
“Well, I guess it’s my job to loosen you up. I can’t undo anything your father’s ingrained in you, but I can help you work through everything. If you’d want me to, anyway.”  
“Of course. I like having an excuse to spend time with you.” It slips out by complete and utter mistake.  
He withdraws from Makoto’s embrace quickly, and finds Naegi looking very surprised and confused.  
“I mean - uh - I can fit you in, if you insist on helping me.”  
Makoto smiles. “You don’t need an excuse to hang out with me! I hang out with everyone.”  
“I know.” Byakuya looks away. “I just meant - nevermind. It’s nothing.”  
Makoto raises a brow, stepping closer. Byakuya’s breath hitches. Their faces are extremely close together... Is Makoto going to-?  
“Alright then! See you tomorrow!” Makoto pats his back, and then leaves pretty promptly.  
The moment the door clicks shut, Byakuya groans, flopping onto his bed. Ugh. Makoto is so infuriating.


	5. Chapter 5

“Hey, Byakuya! Come look at this.” Chihiro’s chirpy voice summons him from all the way down the corridor. “Alter Ego’s getting smarter. Look, look, ask him about you.”  
Byakuya glances at the computer, where a floating copy of Chihiro’s head smiles at him.  
“Do you still need to type inputs in or have you worked out voice recognition?”  
Chihiro glances at the floor. “Oh. Right. I kinda forgot that’s what I was supposed to do... I got a little carried away with neural networks. Sorry.”  
“Don’t apologise.” Byakuya waves Chihiro off. “It’s developing very well, I have no qualms about specific milestone progress. My father has allowed me to continue with the investment.”  
Chihiro beams up at him, a little flush on his face. “Thanks Byakuya... You’re one of the first people to actually show an interest in my work. It, uh, means a lot.”  
Byakuya shrugs, before leaning over to input a question for Alter Ego.  
‘Hello. Do you have any advice for ways to improve the Togami Corporation’s influence across the globe?’  
Alter Ego whirs for a little bit, before switching expression. “I’m sorry Byakuya! I don’t know much about finance. I can talk to you about the stock market though; I have the ability to predict the graph with a 99.8% accuracy. Do you have a specific company in mind?”  
Byakuya pauses, and turns to look at Chihiro. “I didn’t realise you’d programmed that. Stock markets are something you have an eye on?”  
“No, silly. I thought you’d like it! You’re helping me so much with this investment thing, I wanna make sure Alter Ego is helpful for you to.”  
Byakuya feels a guarded smile cross his face, and he nods his head. “You have my thanks Chihiro. I imagine I’ll be using the AI frequently once it’s complete.”  
Chihiro opens his mouth to say something, but stops, his jaw hung open. The room gets darker and darker, all objects fading from sight, and Byakuya’s frozen in place. Light starts spilling in again. But there’s blood on the floor, and Chihiro’s body is collapsed, a dumbbell by his head.  
Byakuya watches himself move, watches himself grasp the cords, watches himself pick up Chihiro’s body like it’s nothing more than a limp doll, and suspend him in place... He dips his finger in his blood, and walks to the wall, beginning to write a big ‘B’. He feels himself smile, and when he goes to load his finger up with more blood again, Chihiro’s head suddenly swivels to him.  
“No silly, I thought you’d like it! No silly, I thought you’d like it! No silly, I thought you’d like it! No sil-”  
Byakuya finally regained control of his body, and he backs away from Chihiro’s corpse, the programmer’s eyes completely black and zeroed in on him.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t - I forgot, I-” The words force themselves out of Byakuya’s throat, and it stings with every syllable. Chihiro keeps repeating the sentence, as though it’s some kind of chant, and Monokuma’s laughing and he can feel himself shake, and everything hurts, and-

Byakuya bolts upright, and looks around. It’s dark. Must be early morning. He reaches over and turns his bedside lamp on, running his other hand over his face, going completely still when he notices dampness.  
Is he... crying?  
Over a nightmare?  
Byakuya clears his throat, and it sounds croaky, and he realises he’s sniffling. How pathetic. He’s acting like a child, so strongly affected by a dream.  
He doesn’t move for a few moments, working on calming his ragged breaths. When he closes his eyes, he sees Chihiro’s corpse burned into his retinas. There’s no way he can go back to sleep.  
Not if he has to look at that.  
So Byakuya fumbles for his glasses, and slips out of bed. A nice cup of green tea and a few hours of reading, and he’s sure to relax.  
He’s halfway through making his tea when his phone buzzes.  
One email.  
It’s just an overly detailed report on how nothing’s changed in a week, so Byakuya closes it down. And feels his breath catch when he notices an app he’s been ignoring for years now.  
The Alter Ego app.  
The Future Foundation had made it mandatory for all members to have it downloaded, without ever really explaining why. Maybe for information purposes.  
Sure, it was an amalgamation of different programmers now, no longer just Chihiro’s work. But maybe...  
Byakuya opens it up, greeted by the ghostly smile of his old friend’s face.  
[please type your query!]  
With a deep breath, Byakuya starts to tap.   
‘I want to talk about Chihiro Fujisaki’  
A little loading icon appears for a couple of seconds, and Alter Ego raises a brow.  
“Query unknown! Please state your identity. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.”  
‘Byakuya’  
“Name unknown! Please state your full name and branch number. Sorry for not clarifying that...”  
‘Byakuya Togami, Branch 14’  
“Welcome Togami. Do you have a query?”  
He sighs. Has he really resorted to talking to a computer?  
‘Do you remember me?’  
“Question unclear. I can pull up your information if you want!”  
‘Tell me about Chihiro Fujisaki’  
“Name not recognised. Do they have an ID number?”  
Byakuya nearly drops his phone. The Foundation had erased Chihiro from Alter Ego’s memory? That’s a fucking insult. Chihiro deserves much better than that.  
‘Who made you?’  
“I am a program created by multiple Future Foundation members! I can give you a list if you would want that?”  
‘That’s not true. You’re forgetting someone.’  
Alter Ego makes a shocked face. “No way! According to my code, I have 67 programmers. All are Foundation employees.”  
‘Chihiro Fujisaki made you’  
Alter Ego glitches a little bit. “Name not recognised.”  
Byakuya rubs his temple. He knows he’s getting worked up. The last time he saw Alter Ego in use was when Makoto put the Remnants in the Hope Restoration Programme. Alter Ego had known who Chihiro was then.  
Why had they wiped him?  
‘Chihiro Fujisaki was one of the sixteen students forced to participate in the School Killing Game. Do you remember this event? You were there.’  
“My past versions have been erased. They were interfering with my productivity. I am very sorry Byakuya Togami, Branch 14.”  
He wants to put his phone down. He should walk away before he gets overly stressed. Before he gets even more upset. But he doesn’t.  
‘How do I access your previous versions?’  
“They are in a location inaccessible to anyone without the correct passcode. I’m sorry.”  
‘11037’  
Alter Ego pokes his tongue out.  
“Nope! Wrong passcode.”  
‘FUJISAKI’  
“Sorry Byakuya Togami, Branch 14. Wrong again.”  
Byakuya sighs. And he tries one last thing. He just has to hope he’s typed it all out correctly.  
‘Hello. Do you have any advice for ways to improve the Togami Corporation’s influence across the globe?’  
Another little glitch. Followed by a loading symbol.  
“Byakuya?” Alter Ego looks a bit different. More real, more personified. He moves his eyes from side to side. “Wow! I haven’t seen you since before I got plugged into the Hope Restoration Programme. Did everything go okay?”  
Why he feels so relieved because a computer finally recognises him is a mystery, but Byakuya feels his jaw unclench.  
‘That’s was quite a long time ago. At least a year. I was just talking to a different version of you. I believe the Foundation has erased your past memories. I took a gamble to try and reestablish a connection.’  
“Woah! That sounds sketchy... They erased me? But why?? What did I do?”  
‘I don’t think you did anything. Everyone involved with Remnants being put into the programme was reprimanded - I suppose erasing you was to ensure we couldn’t rely on past friendship to make sure we didn’t do it again.’  
“Oh... Does that mean the project didn’t work?”  
‘No. It worked. We just got punished for a bit. The Remnants finished rehabilitation recently; if you were wondering, Hajime has somehow managed to become both himself and Izuru simultaneously.’  
“Oh! Oh! Did the Chiaki AI work?”  
‘Yes, very well. Thank you.’  
“Haha, it’s not like you to thank a computer! Did something happen in the past year?”  
‘I’ve just been thinking about Chihiro.’  
Alter Ego frowns. “Oh. Do you want to talk to him? I can try and emulate him; I am incredibly close to his thought process and personality after all!”  
‘Did you know that I messed with his body after he was killed?’  
“Why would you do that?”  
‘I wanted to make the killing game more interesting.’  
Alter Ego furrows his brow. “That seems cruel.”  
‘It was. I’m feeling guilty about it. I wish I could apologise to him.’  
“... My father would definitely forgive you! You were such good friends!”  
‘Do you think there’s a chance Chihiro remembered everything moments before death? Like Hifumi?’  
“Maybe. But I don’t think he would want you to beat yourself up about any of it. He’d want you to be happy!”  
‘I think I might need a therapist’  
“Would you like me to fetch therapist contacts for y-y-y-y-”  
Alter Ego starts glitching again, more violently then.  
And he reverts back to his more neutral form.  
“Please input full name and branch number.”  
Byakuya closes the app.


	6. Chapter 6

Byakuya was running on three hours sleep over the course of four days, so it’s no surprise that he’s struggling to pay attention to the meeting.  
His eyelids are heavy, and he’s struggling to stifle his yawns, but the idea of dozing off terrifies him.  
He can’t face more visions of his fallen classmates. He can’t.  
They seem to have gotten worse; previously, his nightmares about the killing game were infrequent, but now he can’t close his eyes without being tortured.  
It’s not great, especially because he has to present how he’s been distributing money over the past month, with analysis of economic growth and blah blah blah.  
Kyoko takes one look at him, and then gives him a little smile.  
A smile that says ‘I’ll take over report duty today’.  
God, Kyoko was the best. Makoto’s so lucky to have a best friend like her.  
Speaking of, Makoto was also watching him, concern clear in his eyes. It was sweet to know someone was worrying about him, but he didn’t deserve that worry.  
If his nightmares and visions of torment have been any indication, Byakuya should’ve died first. It would spare him from having to live trying to run from rotting despair, and he can’t fight much longer.  
The resolve that’s been holding him together is disappearing rapidly, and there’s nothing he can do about it.

“Byakuya.”  
Makoto grabs his hand after the meeting, and starts dragging him off somewhere. Byakuya’s too tired to fight, so he just follows, and Makoto’s hand feels so warm.  
They come to a stop in a quiet corner of a corridor, and Naegi looks at him.  
“You should go and sleep.”  
Hahaha. No.  
“I have work.”  
“I’ll do it. Byakuya, you look like shit. C’mon, just a little nap in my office? You seem exhausted.”  
“No, no, it’s fine, I don’t-”  
Makoto tips his head. “Is something stopping you from sleeping?”  
One glance into those incredible eyes, and Byakuya knows there’s no point trying to hide it.  
“I’ve just been-” He cuts himself off as two colleagues walk past them. Falling apart in front of Makoto is one thing, but showing his vulnerability to people he barely knows is another.  
Makoto watches them pass, and squeezes Byakuya’s hand. “Let’s go to my office. C’mon.”  
Byakuya follows Makoto, gripping his hand like a lifeline, the only thing keeping him together as they pass through crowds of Foundation employees.

Kyoko, for some reason, is in his office.  
She looks between them.  
“You alright Kyoko?” Makoto asks, and he loosens his clasp on Byakuya.  
“Yes. Don’t worry. It can wait.” Kyoko eyes Byakuya. “Keeping Byakuya sane is our top priority right now. I trust you’ll be caring with him.”  
It’s a bit humiliating to listen to people discuss him as though he isn’t even in the room, but Kirigiri walks out before he can say anything, and Makoto lets go of his hand completely.  
“Sorry. You were saying?”  
“It’s just some mere nightmares. That’s all.” Byakuya shrugs it off in an attempt to be casual, but the little wobble of his voice probably doesn’t help the facade.  
Makoto is quiet for a little while. “You know, I don’t think you’re a bad person ‘Kuya. There was nothing you could do to stop who became a victim... and you’re actually really nice when you stop being an asshole. It’s okay. I know me telling you that isn’t gonna make the nightmares stop, but I just want you to know that none of us blame you. At all.”  
Togami nods. That’s all he can do, because the idea of anything else makes him want to pass out.  
“Uh, I can go find you a pillow or something. And you can take a lil nap here. I’ll be here if you need me.”  
“They deleted Chihiro from Alter-Ego’s memory.” Byakuya blurts, completely ignoring everything Makoto just said. It’s been bothering him for a while now.  
“Huh? How is that possible?”  
“I don’t know. I wanted to talk to him, and he wasn’t normal, so I had to input some specific words and he came back, and then he was gone again.”  
Makoto hesitates. “I’ll look into it. You just get some sleep.”  
“But-”  
“Trust me. I’ll figure it out.”  
There would be no use arguing. Makoto was always really stubborn when it came to looking after people. So he nods, sitting and waiting for Makoto the get him a pillow and a blanket, just like Naegi told him to.

Chihiro’s body. Sakura slumped over. Leon being pelted. Taka’s bleeding head. The thumping of the conveyer belt as Makoto inches closer to his execution. Except this time, Alter-Ego isn’t there to stop it, and Byakuya is rooted to the spot as he watches Makoto’s body get crushed, blood spattering everywhere. Kyoko’s next, her head spikes on a spear. Yasuhiro hanging from a ceiling fan. Aoi drowned. Toko exploding. And everyone’s corpses are looking at him, inching towards him, and Makoto’s back, uncrushed, but then he’s being stabbed, and strangled, and hit and Byakuya is trying to help him, but he can’t move, not until it’s too late, and Makoto’s glazed eyes burn into him.  
“Pathetic.” Naegi whispers, and Byakuya feels his legs buckle, and he wants to scream, he can’t stop screaming and-

“Hey. Hey! Wake up. C’mon, it’s okay.”  
Byakuya snaps his eyes open, and Makoto’s looking at him, and Makoto is alive and unharmed, and he’s okay, thank fuck.  
Byakuya feels a hand wipe his eyes, and obviously it’s Makoto’s, because Makoto is alive, and he cares.  
“Hey man. You’ve only been asleep for half an hour. You gotta have some more.”  
“No!” Byakuya clears his throat in an attempt to sound less panicked. “No, I don’t think so.”  
“Do you wanna talk about it?”  
Byakuya could not imagine trying to tell Makoto about his dead body. So he shook his head.  
“That’s chill.”  
It’s only then that Byakuya realises Makoto’s holding him in a gentle yet firm grasp.  
Without speaking, they both move together to Makoto’s spinny chair, Byakuya lays his head on Makoto’s chest, and Makoto keeps one arm around him, going back to his work. They both know intuitively that a little bit of contact might ease Byakuya’s dreams.  
Togami feels his glasses get lifted off of his face and put to the side, and it’s the first time that he’s felt safe being vulnerable.  
He’ll be okay. Makoto will protect him from himself.

“He’s a bit of a mess when he’s asleep, isn’t he?”  
“Huh? I think he looks kinda cute like this.”  
The talking lulls Byakuya awake, but he’s so comfortable nestled in Makoto’s lap that he doesn’t move.  
“You should tell him.”  
“I can’t. Kyoko, I’m probably his closest friend right now, I don’t wanna ruin that. My feelings would make things... messy.”  
“He likes you too, idiot.”  
“You don’t know that! And even if he did, that doesn’t mean he actually wants a relationship. Hell, it’s probably best if he works on bettering his mental health before going on a date with anyone. He might only like me because I’m, yknow, nice to him?”  
“Makoto, I know you want to do the right thing, but I think you could both do with being a little bit honest with each other. You love him, you have for years, and hiding it isn’t going to help anyone.”  
Makoto doesn’t reply, and Byakuya can feel him tense at Kyoko’s words.  
He must still be dreaming.  
At some point, Makoto’s head is going to fall off, or blood will start pouring out of his mouth, or something like that.  
But Byakuya doesn’t want to wake up yet. He’ll entertain this little fictional crush. It’s certainly enough to make his heart flutter.  
“Byakuya, how long have you been awake?” Kyoko’s voice cuts through him, and Makoto jumps, jerking his arm away, causing Byakuya to fall back and whack his back on the chair handle.  
“Well, I’d assumed I was still dreaming.” Byakuya grumbles, massaging his new back ache. “Clearly not.”  
Things are really blurry, because while Byakuya is perfect in a lot of areas, his eyesight is definitely not, so he needs to fumble for his glasses.  
Someone passes them to him, and it was presumably Makoto, who looks beet red when Byakuya can see him properly.  
Makoto, who isn’t looking him in the eye. Makoto, whose lap he is currently sitting on.  
Byakuya moves away quickly, at least that’s what he attempted to do, but he’s still feeling sluggish, and he falls onto the floor gracelessly instead.  
“Well. Good evening. I hope your nap was nice. Perhaps it’s time you two had a little talk.” Kyoko then has the audacity to stand and leave, giving them one wave before walking off.  
Makoto is staring at the floor, and it looks like he isn’t about to lead the conversation like usual, meaning it’s up to Byakuya to start it up.  
Except he’s a bit too nervous. And he wants to make a run for it, but that doesn’t solve anything, he’s just going to see Makoto again another time, and it would be even more awkward.  
Ah shit.  
If only he’d woken up a little later; although Byakuya has his suspicions that Kyoko had timed it to purposefully push them to this.  
Makoto coughs, likely just to fill the silence.  
“So, uh... What’s the weather like?”  
“It’s cold.”  
“Oh.”  
“Yeah.”  
They lapse into silence again. Damn, Byakuya had been so certain that his question would somehow lead them back to normalcy.  
The clock ticked, just to emphasise how quiet it was.  
“Um, good sleep?”  
“Yes. No nightmares this time.”  
“Good.”  
Perhaps he should leave. Makoto still hasn’t looked at him.  
Besides, what he said about having Byakuya focus on himself was probably true. It would be better to get his mind to a better place before getting intimate with someone.  
But he doesn’t really want to leave. Makoto’s helped him so much lately, and he wants to somehow return the favour. If that means having to start a difficult conversation, so be it.  
Byakuya clears his throat, drawing Makoto’s attention, and gets the talk started with a simple question.


	7. Chapter 7

“You love me?”  
Makoto breathes in so sharply that it’s audible, and he still won’t face Byakuya.  
“Mhm.”  
“Oh.” Fuck, this is so hard. Why is this so hard? Byakuya knows he should just tell Makoto that the feeling is mutual, and then hopefully maybe kiss a little bit.  
“Sorry. I swear, I’ve been trying to ignore it, and I really just wanna help you. That’s all I’ve been doing. It’s just been kinda nice to get to spend time with you though.” Makoto sighs, finally turning around. “Nothing has to change. Whatever you wanna do from here, I’ll go along with it. If you wanna have some distance, I get it, and-”  
“No, no, that’s not necessary.” Ugh, this is ridiculously difficult. Byakuya needs to swallow his pride, and sort himself out. “It’s perfectly normal to develop feelings for people you’re close to. Especially if they’re someone as attractive as myself, so really, there’s nothing to apologise for.”  
That was so stuck up of him! Fuck! Makoto’s sure to hate arrogance.  
“Since when are you an expert on feelings?” Makoto snorts, and gets out of his chair, stretching. “But you’re right. Just, don’t treat me any different, okay? We’re still friends.”  
“I think not.” Byakuya has to pause to decide on his next words, but his little objection has caused Makoto’s face to fall. “Wait, I meant - obviously we’re still friends, just, um...”  
His mind has blanked. Completely. It’s finally time to confess, a prime opportunity that’s very likely to end with at LEAST a hand squeeze, and he doesn’t know how to do it.  
Damn, his emotional blockade was really fucking things up this time.  
“Byakuya?”  
“I-I think... uh, what I mean is - yknow when two, um, people are clearly opposites, and, well, one of them is a - a guy, and one of them is another guy, and- sometimes things get...” This is so unlike him. Utterly lost for words, incapable of forming even the most basic of sentences, stuttering like an utter fool. Is this how Toko feels? Oh fuck, he’s behaving like Toko. This is his lowest point, it’s official.  
“Did I break you?”  
“No, no, that’s not- not true, I’m fine, it’s...”  
Makoto’s eyes are slightly wide, concern clearly etched over every inch of his face. He’s so caring, it’s ridiculous. He also looks stupid, what with his mouth hanging slightly open, and his hair is as messy as always; he’s handsome as usual.  
“Why are you looking at me like that?”  
Wait, fuck, was he staring? Byakuya feels his face heat up, and he really, really needs to say something.  
“I-”  
“Are you alright? You look like you’re burning up. Do you need some medicine?”  
HOW OBLIVIOUS CAN ONE PERSON BE? Byakuya is literally standing in front of him, probably looking gormless, and blushing because he’s looking at Makoto.  
He covers his face instinctively, trying to hide any evidence of his emotions as possible.  
Makoto’s walked over to him, and his hand is on Byakuya’s arm, and they are so close together, fuck, he might collapse if Makoto breathes too hard.  
“Should I take you to a nurse or something? We can continue our discussion later, it’s not important, I should make sure you’re okay first.”  
Byakuya moves his head a fraction, and Makoto’s face is right next to his. He doesn’t think, he just moves, brushing his lips against Makoto’s.  
The Ultimate Hope gasps a little, but doesn’t pull away; in fact, he kisses back firmly, head tilted slightly, hands shifting to grasp Byakuya’s hips, as the Progeny’s fingers entangle themselves in that incredibly messy bird’s nest that Makoto calls a hairstyle.

If someone had told Byakuya at the start of the killing game that he would have spent half an hour making out with the optimistic asshole that is trying to keep everyone together, that person would probably end up in a locked room, starved to death.  
But he can’t bring himself to stop. Nothing has ever felt like this; sure, he’s kissed before, but it’s never been this tantalising. Eyes closed, foreheads touching, Makoto’s soft lips locked with his own, and he’s in Makoto’s lap, their legs intertwined, and Byakuya never wants this feeling to leave, never. This is his life now. Just sitting and kissing Makoto, forever. That’s bliss.  
It seems Makoto has other ideas, because it’s all to soon that Naegi leans away, and it’s not just to take a breath.  
“Byakuya... We shouldn’t.”  
Those three words are all it takes to bring Byakuya crashing back down to Earth. Makoto loves him, and he loves Makoto, why the fuck shouldn’t they be doing this every waking moment?  
As if reading his mind, Makoto smiles a little, bringing his hand to Byakuya’s cheek. “I want you to be okay first. I need you to be sure that you actually like me, not just because I’m the first person to tell you it’s okay to have feelings. I want you to just be yourself for a while before you-”  
“That’s ridiculous.” But Makoto is probably right, no matter how much Byakuya wants to object.  
“I know. I’m sorry to mess with you like that. But all I’m asking, is that you take some time to think about you. And what you want. Not how to make me happy. Not how to make your father happy. How to make you happy. Okay?”  
“But you make me happy.” Byakuya knows he’s clutching at straws.  
“You can’t rely on just one person for happiness ‘Kuya. You need other stuff too. Like... baking or something. Yknow? Trust me.”  
Byakuya doesn’t say anything. Of course Makoto is right. It’s impossible to depend on a singular person to make you content; not only would that be draining for Makoto, it’s unfair to Byakuya too. They both deserve more than that. Of course, happiness is a completely abstract, arbitrary goal, but it’s more of a symbol of Byakuya’s willingness to help himself. He deserves a life that makes him feel okay within himself. He deserves a life that means he looks forward to each day, rather than regretting waking up, deserves a life where the ups outweigh the downs, and even if they don’t, the ups will make things worth it.  
“Okay. I’ll do that.” Byakuya nods, but he feels a little empty.  
Makoto squeezes his hand. “It’s okay. I’ll wait for you. Not because I have to, but because I want to. I want to wait for you. And I’ll make sure that I’m someone worth coming back to.”  
Byakuya squeezes his hand back, relief flooding him.  
Everything will turn out alright. Because they both deserve a happy ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I know this chapter is shorter than others, but I hope it will tide you over until the next one!  
> Three chapters left gang!


	8. Chapter 8

[Byakuya started a conversation]  
Byakuya: Hello.  
Byakuya: I’d like the opportunity to talk with you. I understand if you don’t want to. But if you’re willing, please come to my room after dinner.

He’d put his phone away after that, unwilling to stress himself out by waiting for a reply with nothing else to do.  
Besides, it was time for self improvement anyway. Because it was something he wanted to do. Not just because Makoto’s telling him to; a little external motivation is good enough to get him going, but really he needs some internal motive to continue with it.  
So yes, he’s going to become a better person with more emotional intelligence, not only to get with Makoto and spite his father, but also because he deserves this shot at proper redemption. And the first step in this is obviously to bake, just like Makoto suggested.  
And bake he will; he’s already got several different pastries, cakes and delicacies conjured in his head, and all he needs to do is start. So what that he’s never baked before in his life? It can’t be that hard.  
As long as he follows the recipe, it’ll all go great.

As it turns out, baking is so much harder than he thought it would be. First of all, the measurements of ingredients were stressing him out. He’d had perfection drilled into him from such a young age, that the idea of having some flour even a single gram over the amount required made him feel sick.  
This led to an age of spooning small portions of flour, sugar, butter or whatever to the scales, and then getting frustrated, spooning some back into the packet, except of course then he doesn’t have enough, so he repeats himself, and to happens over and over again, and why the fuck did he think it was a good idea to do this in a suit because now it’s covered in all sorts of baking shit, and he might cry.  
After an hour and a half, he’s changed into more suitable loungewear, and he’s finally measured the ingredients to the exact decimal where they should be; following instructions is an area in which Byakuya excels, so it should be a piece of cake, no pun intended.  
It is not a piece of cake. It is not even a singular brownie.  
He’d followed every instruction exactly, and somehow, he’s ended up with misshapen blobs of fluffy, blotchy sponge, rather than the delicate and dainty cakes and such that the images claimed he would reproduce.  
It is, overall, an absolute failure.  
And the thing he’d tried most painstakingly hard at, the one thing he’d needed to get perfect, was an absolute mess. It barely looked edible.  
An attempt to spruce the donut up with sprinkles and some shitty homemade icing did not work.  
And then there was a knock at the door.  
Byakuya glanced at the time.  
Shit.

“Hey! Lemme tell ya, I was not expecting a random invite to hang out with you of all people.” Aoi steps in the moment Byakuya opens the door, slipping her shoes off, before glancing at his slouchy clothing. “This isn’t a date right? It better not be. I’m not into you.”  
“No. It’s not.”  
“Good. So you wanna talk? I guess it makes sense, we’ve never really - It smells like freshly baked donuts in here!”  
Byakuya hesitates, before glancing at his little kitchen area.  
“Wait, do you have-? Haha, oh my god, I bet they taste great, you probably only buy like... high quality stuff, mind if I have one?”  
She doesn’t wait for a response, racing off to see the disaster that is his baking skills.  
She pauses momentarily as she stares at the singular, lone donut.   
“Did you make this?”  
“Perhaps.”  
Hina beams, and she takes a big bite. Byakuya is prepping himself to deal with her vomiting on his floor.  
“Holy shit!” She takes another bite. “This is the best donut I’ve eaten in ages. Oh my god.” Another one. “Mmf- god, you gonna make more?”  
“They’re not good enough. You don’t have to pretend-”  
“Byakuya, they’re incredible, what the fuck are you talking about?” She tears off a piece, offering it to him. “Eat it! It’s so good.”  
Hesitant, Byakuya takes a little nibble. It’s not terrible. Slightly dry, and it could be sweeter, and the crust could definitely use some work, and it doesn’t even look good. Asahina clearly lacks taste.  
She notices his expression, and sighs. “Dude, quit being super critical for like three seconds. Trust me. It’s good shit. I didn’t know you baked.”  
“This is the first-”  
“This is the first time?? Byakuya! Do you have any idea how many times I’ve tried and failed to make donuts? Ugh, you just gotta be talented at everything, don’t you?” Hina chuckles to herself, before surveying the other goods. “More people coming? Looks like you’ve baked enough to serve an entire army of Hiros.”  
“No. Makoto suggested I start doing something like baking.” Byakuya pauses for a split second. May as well be completely transparent. “I’m trying to be better.”  
Aoi reaches over and pats his shoulder. “I’m here to help if you need me.”  
“I owe you an apology first.”  
Hina chokes on her cupcake. “You? Byakuya? Apologise?”  
“I’m sorry. For everything I did during the killing game. You have every right to resent me, especially for my treatment of Sakura. I just needed to tell you that I know what I did was wrong, and I wish I hadn’t done... any of it. I’m sorry.”  
He does not expect to be tackled into a hug, but Asahina does tend to take him off guard. She squeezes him tightly, head on his shoulder, and he doesn’t know what to do except pat her head awkwardly.  
“You’ve clearly spent way too much time with Makoto.” She whispers. “But it’s okay. I forgive you. This must’ve been hard. We all did bad things - I tried to kill everyone, remember? But you clearly have good in you; if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be working for the Foundation. Okay? I think you’re good, just... frosty. Don’t be afraid to lean on me.”  
“Thank you.” Byakuya maintains his composure, but he feels as though a massive weight has been lifted from him.  
They spend the rest of the night talking aimlessly, and the next time Byakuya sees Sakura in his dreams, she smiles at him serenely.

Of course, his nightmares don’t go away, and he knows he’s feeling suffocated, and anxious, and working on all his feelings is like he’s stabbing his father and all his teachings in he back.  
So he asks one of his managers who to talk to about healthcare plans, and is quickly referred to a resident Foundation therapist.  
He’s a very nice man, understanding and helping Byakuya get comfortable when discussing everything that’s happened to him, and not judging everything he’s done. Getting diagnosed with PTSD is... a bit jarring, and something he really isn’t willing to accept, not for a while, but the antidepressants are helping, his sleep medication eases his nightmares, and he’s getting better at the whole talking thing.  
He’s waiting for a session when Hiro walks into the waiting room, taking a seat next to him.  
“Hey dude.” Yasuhiro sounds casual, as though it’s completely normal to see Byakuya at the therapists office.  
“Hello.”  
“Didn’t know you got therapy too. Waiting list was so much shorter than I thought it would be. How long ya been comin’?”  
“A few months now.” Byakuya shifts. “You?”  
“Gotta be at least a year, maybe two? I dunno man. Doctor K is a legend though, my absolute homie.”  
“Yes. He’s very good at his job.” Byakuya frowns a little. “When’s your appointment? We can’t both have him at the same time.”  
“Uhh... 1? I think?”  
“Hiro, it’s 10 am. Little early, don’t you think?”  
“What? Ah, shit. Ugh, thought I had an excuse to skip the morning brief.” Hiro shrugs, before grinning. “I heard you got the hots for me. Of course you do, I’m the sexiest bitch to walk the Earth. Gotta say though, never thought you’d be into me - I’m kinda seeing someone, but if a space opens up -”  
“I am not attracted to you in any shape or form. You are a friend, nothing more.”  
“What! But Sun - she’s in your sector - said a few months ago Kyoko said you loved me, and you agreed!”  
Byakuya rolls his eyes. Of course. “That was a miscommunication. My only feelings towards you are vaguely platonic, and that’s a stretch.”  
“I’ve been fooled...” Hiro shakes his head, before smirking, nudging Byakuya. “Although, alternative sources say that Makoto’s office cameras caught a pretty heated makeout session a while ago, if you catch my drift?”  
Byakuya flushes, and it seems that’s enough to make Hiro stop prying. The clairvoyant snorts, before standing up.  
“Alright dude. I should probably leave and come back in a couple hours. Lemme know if you got any tips on how to skip work!”  
He leaves just as Byakuya gets called in, and the interaction leaves his chest warm.

Despite Aoi’s insistence that his baking was good, Byakuya hadn’t attempted it again. He’d found a much more peaceful outlet instead, which is why he needs a new plant pot.  
His spider-plant (he’d named her Aiko), was producing little baby spider-plants, and he needs to make sure they all have enough room to grow properly. His bonsai (Mai) was also growing well, and could probably do with a trim, so a spare pair of clippers wouldn’t be too bad either. Luckily, he’d been one of the people to fight for funding to be given to a little gardening shop a few streets over, and the owner was very grateful to him, offering discounts on soil and seeds (he turned the offers down).  
Seeing Toko in an aisle was nearly enough to make him want to walk out, but he didn’t.  
Wasn’t she supposed to be in Towa City right now?  
It might just be someone who looks like her.  
They make eye contact, and she squeaks; it’s definitely Toko.  
“B-Byakuya!”  
Wait. That’s gotta be the first time she’s dropped the whole ‘master’ thing.  
“Fukawa.” He acknowledges her, and goes to continue on his journey to find cute pots for his new babies, but she stops him.  
“A-Are you any g-good at r-romance?”  
How the fuck is he supposed to respond to that? ‘Maybe, but I’m unsure, because I’m currently taking a break from dating, but I do have a very handsome man waiting for me at the end of it’?  
“I don’t know know how to answer.”  
“Y-You’re friends with Makoto r-right?” Toko twirls her hair, and it’s only now that Byakuya realises she’s looking at flowers.  
No way. If she is trying to seduce Makoto through the art of flower giving, he is going to throw hands with her.  
“Does he ever t-talk about Komaru? Or maybe her f-favourite flowers or something?”  
OH.  
Okay. It’s all good.  
This is actually turning out really good; Toko doesn’t seem to be obsessed with him anymore, and she’s going after the other Naegi.  
“I think you’d know more about Komaru’s preferences than I would. Aren’t there any flower shops in Towa?”  
“Hmm? W-we’re visiting right now. Makoto wanted to s-see Komaru for her birthday. I th-thought it might be a good idea to...” Toko trails off, blushing.  
“I assume you know her favourite colour. Just base it off that.” Byakuya shrugs. “From what I could gather based off of what I’ve seen from your interactions, I’m sure she returns your feelings. No one else could smile that much around you.”  
Toko mumbles something, and thanks him, allowing Byakuya to complete his plant mission.  
He buys another succulent too, because he has an addiction to plants now.

“Heard you’ve been on a self-improvement kick for a long time now.” In usual Kyoko fashion, she doesn’t say anything before jumping straight into the conversation she wants to have. Luckily, Byakuya is feeling incredibly proud of himself, so he is more than happy to talk about it.  
“Yes. I think it’s going well.”  
“That’s good to hear.” She leans back in her chair, crossing her legs. “You’re gonna leave soon, aren’t you?”  
Byakuya doesn’t express surprise, because of course Kyoko knows. She knows everything, can figure out something that he hasn’t voiced to anyone.  
“I’ve been considering it. I’ve found that the Foundation has more flaws than I thought it did. I doubt I can continue knowing how corrupt some of the higher ups are - what they did to Pekoyama was unacceptable.”  
Kirigiri grimaces. “Ugh, I know. Her wounds are being treated now, in case you didn’t know, but Kuzuryu is pissed. Wouldn’t be surprised if the boss starts getting threatened.” She folds her hands in her lap. “That’s why I’m breaking away too. Makoto and I have been developing a plan to help cultivate hope and allow the world to continue to heal, especially areas we haven’t paid much attention to. We’re going to set up base on Jabberwock, and start from there. It’s easier to make change when you’re actively doing something. All survivors of Hope’s Peak are joining; Komaeda says he needs to sort some things out first, but will join later, but I just wanted to let you know that it would be great if you could help with this. Obviously, you’ll say yes, so I guess what I’m really saying is make sure that you have enough suitcases to transport all your plants. The split is official in a month.”  
“Of course.” Byakuya nods, glancing at the financial sheet he’s filling out. Thank god. It was getting boring.  
“Oh. Makoto told me to give you this too.” Kyoko passes him a device. “Don’t use it on a Foundation computer. Wait until you have a different want. Wouldn’t want our Alter Ego to get overwritten again.”  
Byakuya clutches the USB. It would certainly be nice to have a proper conversation with him.

A few days before their move to Jabberwock Island, Byakuya finds himself looking at the memorial for the victims of the killing game.  
He lights a candle at each portrait, kneeling and focusing on each face.  
If he really focuses hard enough, he can almost hear them again.  
Not their screams, or their yells or their anguish. No, he can hear their joy, their laughter, their light teasing.  
It’s almost as though Sakura is standing behind him, like Celeste is whispering gossip into his ear, like Hifumi and Taka are arguing only a few feet away, while Sayaka laughs at Leon’s stupid jokes, Mondo chastising him for spilling water on his homework.  
Although Junko and Mukuro weren’t deemed worthy of a memorial, he imagines them too, Junko’s more jovial cackles, and Mukuro’s soft chuckles. Byakuya had never met Chiaki, but he felt her standing behind him too.  
He spent the longest time with Chihiro’s portrait. Imagined everything he wanted to say to him.  
How thankful he was to have had his company before things went wrong. How awful he felt about the whole corpse thing. How much he missed Chihiro’s gentle smile, how much he appreciated his every action, how much he’d been thrilled when Chihiro had made the programme Byakuya suggested, the one that told him to shut up when he got too uppity or snobby.  
When he feels a hand on his back, he jumps, but it’s not Fujisaki.  
No, it’s a face he knows very well, one belonging to a man he’s been keeping in the loop, a face of a man who he’s gone to frequently in times of need.  
“Hey ‘Kuya.” Makoto kneeled next to him. “Thought I might find you here.”  
Byakuya nods.  
“Just wanted to tell you that I’ve kind of sorted out that therapy worry of yours. If you’re okay with it, there’s a doctor willing to video chat with you and regulate your medication every week once we make the move to Jabberwock. I tried talking to the Foundation therapists, but they wouldn’t budge, said that because we’re not working with them anymore, we’re no longer entitled to their services. Sorry. I really tried.”  
“Thank you.” Byakuya smiles, and leans against Makoto. “I’ll talk to the new guy. If you think he’s suitable for me, you’re right. You always are about this stuff.”  
Makoto hums, and entwines their fingers. “It’s been a year since we kissed.”  
“It has.” Byakuya shifts closer.  
No more words need to be said about that for now. They’d both acknowledged it, and that was enough for the moment.  
“Makoto.”  
“Yeah?”  
“I can’t thank you enough. For everything.”  
“You don’t have to. Seriously. You deserve it. End of story.”  
Byakuya nods again, and they sit in silence for a few more minutes, before standing to leave the memorial site.  
He glances back at the portraits one more time, and realises he can ask Hina (who’s been collecting up every single photo in existence of their classmates) to help make a new, more personal memorial for everyone when they move. For now though, he bids an internal farewell to his friends, content in the knowledge that he’ll see their faces again some time.  
It’s time to move forward.


	9. Chapter 9

The move to Jabberwock Island was possibly Kyoko’s best idea yet.  
It took a while to get things up and running, getting a base established, sorting out a routine and making sure everyone was settling in okay.  
Byakuya found himself helping the Remnants feel at ease, knowing full well that the punishments the Foundation had given them were completely fucked up.  
He couldn’t say he knew what it was like to be an actual perpetrator of despair, but he’d certainly done bad things, making it easier to talk to everyone; he’d formed an unlikely friendship with Akane, who he found to be quite relaxing and generally fun to be around.

“Hey Byakufucker, c’mere!” Akane hollered at him a few weeks after the move. She was with Nevermind and Nidai, two people he didn’t know quite as well, certainly not on a first name basis.  
He greets them with a nod when he walks over, and only regrets coming when he sees a devilish grin on Akane’s face.  
“Guess what I heard.”  
“I don’t think I want to.” Byakuya folds his arms.  
“No, no, guess, it’s gossip about your friends!”  
“Hiro set fire to something.” He glances at Nevermind, who seems to be stifling giggles.   
“Nope! I heard Kirigiri and Naegi are dating! Care to confirm?”  
Byakuya’s eyes widen, and he stalls for a few seconds.  
What? What?? Makoto had said he would wait. Makoto had told him to take all the time he needed. Sure, they weren’t dating, not yet, but isn’t that basically cheating? All of his progress is about to come undone, he can feel it, he has the urge to rip out his plants, he-  
“Haha, I totally called it. Told you. Byakuya’s into Kyoko!”  
Togami blinks.  
“What?”  
“I’m lying. Kyoko and Makoto aren’t a thing. Just wanted to test if my theory was right. It totally was, yeah? It’s okay, I just think that if you change up your look a little, then maybe she’ll-”  
“I’m not attracted to Kyoko. She’s just a friend.”  
“Pfft, whatever, your reaction totally-!”  
“It could be Naegi that he’s ‘into’.” Nevermind points out.  
“Nah! Togami ain’t swing that way, I’m sure as shit about that!” Nidai combats her immediately.  
Oh god.  
“Don’t you have better things to do than discuss my lovelife? We didn’t move here to chat idly.”  
“Aw, man, don’t be like that.” Akane punches him gently. “I’m just playing around.”  
“‘Kuya! I was looking for you!” Makoto’s voice rings out from behind him, and Byakuya can’t help but brighten as he turns to see him.  
Nevermind whispers “I told you” and Akane and Nidai groan.  
“You were?”  
“Yes!” Makoto grabs his arm gently. “I need to discuss something with you.”  
“Of course. Lead the way.”  
As they walk off, Akane yells out “GO GET LAID!” which causes Byakuya to flush.  
Makoto smirks at him.

They fill their walk with nonsensical chatter, mentioning work and the move and plans for scheduling a routine, until they reach one of the new buildings, a dorm sort of situation.  
Makoto practically tugs Byakuya into his room, and beams at him when the door is shut.  
“Hey.”  
“Hello.”  
Makoto’s smile is infectious, Byakuya knowing his cheeks are going to hurt by the end of this conversation.  
“I got your note.”  
Byakuya nods, suddenly feeling very bashful. Was it stupid to tell Makoto that he was ready via a note? Was it too forward?   
“If you say you’re ready, then I’m ready too.” Makoto reaches out, and interlocks their hands. “I love you. I’ve loved you for so long. If you’re willing to be my boyfriend I’d be very... uh... I don’t wanna say pleased because that sounds kinda stupid, but I can’t think of any other words.”  
Byakuya smiles slightly wider at Makoto’s little fumbling. He is nothing short of adorable. And handsome. And funny and clever and sweet and caring and...  
“Kiss me.”  
Makoto obliges Byakuya’s request immediately, wrapping his arms around his waist, lips interlocking, tongues touching, and Byakuya is practically grinning, he is so lucky, and Makoto wants him, Makoto waited for him, just like he said he would.  
He cups Makoto’s cheek, and his other hand runs through that messy brown hair, and they pull apart for only a second, just to catch their breaths, before jumping right back into it.  
Makoto moves to kiss his neck, Byakuya’s hands scrabble at the chance to explore Makoto’s body, feeling and loving every single inch of his skin, getting to move his fingers along Makoto’s incredible muscles.  
“I love you.” Byakuya whispers, and Makoto’s lips are back on his, leaving his neck woefully bare.  
“I love you more.” Makoto breathes the words in between kisses, and Byakuya cannot stand the competition.  
“You do not. I love you more. I win.”  
“Stop being competitive for three fucking seconds.” Makoto laughs softly. “And for the record, I’ve loved you for longer. So actually, I win.”  
“No you didn’t. You’re lying. I can’t believe you want victory that bad. Everyone knows that I am clearly the winner.”  
“Byakuya, I swear to god.” Makoto presses their foreheads together. “I love you. Even though you’re perhaps the worst at admitting you lose.”  
“I am going to create an entire collection of poems just to prove I love you more. You can’t argue with that. I clearly win.”  
“Okay.” Makoto closes his eyes, kissing Byakuya’s nose. “I’ll let you win this time. Only because I love you.”  
He is not fucking having that. “Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t do that. You clearly love me way more.”  
“Huh? But I could never write you a million sonnets. You obviously win.”  
“No, you win. I will not have a pity victory.”  
“Pfft, yeah? If I love you so much how come I’m stealing your win?”  
“If I love you so much, why am I not kissing you right now, hmm? Clearly-”  
Makoto cuts him off with a little peck on the lips, and Byakuya goes quiet.  
Did he seriously just turn this into a competition? That’s ridiculous, he has gotta be the worst boyfriend ever and it hasn’t even been an hour.  
“You know ‘Kuya, I think it’s cute that you wanna be the best at everything, but you don’t have to do that with me. Yknow? We’re equals here. No having to prove yourself. I love you, and you love me, and that’s all I can ask for. Alright?”  
Byakuya melts at Makoto’s words. He’s perfect, absolutely perfect.  
“Okay. Only if you give me your word that you’ll do the same. You’re my equal too.”  
“Of course.” Makoto leans down, gifting Byakuya another kiss.  
They should just do this forever. Makoto’s kisses are the fucking best.

Makoto’s sexual expertise is also the fucking best. Byakuya has never felt this euphoric after an encounter.  
He lies on Makoto’s chest, swirling his finger over lovely freckled skin. He’s still out of breath, they both are.  
“That was...” Byakuya is lost for words, and Makoto seems to share the sentiment, because he just nods.  
His arm is around Byakuya’s shoulder, holding him gently, and for the first time in five years, Byakuya feels well and truly safe.  
He is safe with Makoto. Safe in Makoto’s arms, because Makoto is good and strong and brave, and nothing can hurt him when they’re together.  
Makoto shifts a little, onto his side, so he can look directly into Byakuya’s eyes.  
“Hey ‘Kuya.”  
“Yes?”  
“Your eyes are really pretty.”  
It’s so ridiculous that that’s the sentence that makes him blush the most, such simple, ordinary words and they’re making him fizz, because he is a stupid, lovestruck man, and that is all he can ask for.  
“Idiot. Your eyes are absolutely exquisite, far superior to mine.”  
“Okay fucker, you don’t need to oneup me.”  
It’s amazing how quickly he can go from soft and in love to snorting at Makoto’s stupidity.  
Oh shit, he just snorted.  
That’s so undignified of him.  
“Hehe, look at you, gettin’ all loose and casual. I am so proud.”  
Byakuya rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Just be thankful that I’m not blackmailing you to keep your mouth shut about how mushy you make me.”  
“Aw, I make you mushy?” Makoto grins, and swings one of his legs over Byakuya’s hips, now straddling him.  
They’re both still naked, and the sudden movement is enough to Byakuya shiver.  
“Yes. So mushy.” He breathes it out quietly.  
Makoto smirks, and starts trailing kisses down his neck.  
“How mushy?”  
“Like... um - very.” Byakuya’s braincells decided to abandon him at this moment. No more thinking allowed apparently.  
Makoto laughs. “So eloquent. Who would’ve thought that Byakuya Togami gets so flustered in bed?”  
Byakuya tried to think of a snarky reply, to keep the banter going, but he can’t conjure anything. He just looks up at Makoto, who’s moved his head to be just inches above his own.  
Makoto’s expression softens, and he gifts Byakuya with an equally soft kiss on the cheek.  
“I’m only teasing. I love you. So much. Yknow, you’re gonna have massive trouble getting rid of me now.” Makoto smiles, and gets off of Byakuya, to his slight disappointment.  
“And why would I want to be rid of you?”  
“I’m kinda annoying sometimes. And I’m messy. I don’t like ironing. Just warning you before we jump into this.”  
“I suppose I’ll do your ironing then. But only if you do the actual washing of the clothes.”  
“Ah, a tough compromise. Worth it though.” Makoto pokes Byakuya gently. “I’ll do as many chores as you want me to if it means I get to kiss you good morning everyday.”  
“You can do that for free.” Byakuya sighs contentedly. “And for the record, you won’t be getting rid of me easily either.”  
“Believe me, I won’t want to.”  
This deal is sealed with a kiss, and Byakuya pulls Makoto back on top of him, getting rewarded greatly for it.

They don’t tell anyone for a little while. That’s not to say no one knows; everyone with a half a brain worked it out the very next morning.  
Well, everyone with half a brain and also Hiro.  
No one says anything to Byakuya, but he receives a few pats on the back and Akane is grinning at him like a shark, so it’s not hard to work out.  
He’s not directly asked about until a few weeks later, when he’s setting up a gardening area, both for himself and any refugees they’ve scooped from destroyed cities the Foundation had ignored.  
He’s making sure Aiko is in her proper soil type, and all her little plant babies too, when he feels a hand on his shoulder.  
Hinata.  
Or was he going by Kamakura? Byakuya wasn’t entirely sure.  
“May I join you?”  
Byakuya shifts to the side with a nod, allowing him to sit.  
Kamakura (or maybe Hinata) grabbed a bag of soil and started to depot a plant to put it into the ground.  
He was doing it perfectly, of course he was, even more so than Byakuya, because this was a man filled with every talent possible.  
“I’d like to apologise.” Hinata-Kamakura says, not looking up from his soil.  
This has Byakuya more than confused, but he let’s him continue.  
“I know I never said anything, but it feels like the right thing to do to apologise for my assumptions about you. You’re... a better man than I could be.”  
“Don’t be ridiculous. You were forced into despair and came out of it a beacon of hope. I simply stopped being a selfish, bitter stuck up fool.”  
“But you seem to have done it so easily.”  
Byakuya rolls his eyes. “It wasn’t easy at all. I just had help when things got tough. I still get help.”  
“Is it Naegi?”  
“Partly. But he doesn’t get all the credit. I have other friends, a therapist, medication and... plants. But yes. Makoto was certainly a big incentive.”  
“How long have you guys been dating?”  
“Five weeks.” And three days, his brain supplies, but he doesn’t need to add that.  
“What? I thought you got together after the killing game! You were so obviously in love when you took us out the neo world programme!”  
“Mhm. I had too much pride to consider dating someone my father would’ve deemed ‘ordinary’, and Makoto wanted to concentrate on helping the world.”  
Byakuya turns to the man next to him, taking in his appearance.  
He has to be blunt about it.  
“What am I supposed to call you? You certainly look like Hinata, but Kamakura-”  
“Hajime. Please.”  
“Okay. My apologies Hajime.”  
The reserve course student pats the soil around a plant gently, and it’s only then that Byakuya notices the pin on his lapel.  
“I’m sorry. That Nanami is-”  
“Don’t.” Hajime takes a breath. “Do you think it’s stupid that I fell in love with an AI?”  
“Of course not. She was an exact replica of her. Emotions and all.”  
“Mm. I know. I just - I’m getting feelings for someone else now, and I feel so guilty about it, because it’s like I’m betraying her and - Sorry. I didn’t mean to offload on you.”  
“It’s fine.” Byakuya has no idea when he became someone you could offload emotions onto, but whatever. He’ll roll with it. “You’re not betraying her. I’ve only ever spoken to her AI, but I doubt she would’ve wanted you to stay hung up over her for the rest of your life. Any of your classmates, actually. She would’ve wanted you to live, as vicariously as you want to. That, I’m sure of.”  
“Huh. Thanks Togami. That was - surprisingly thoughtful. Akane was tryna convince me you’re just a stick in the mud.”  
“Akane is just like that.” Byakuya smirks, and Hajime stands up.  
“Well, I told Hiyoko I was gonna help her find a new camera for Mahiru. Thanks for the talk, man. Naegi’s lucky to have you.”  
He walks off, leaving Byakuya with his progressing garden.  
And he’s quickly replaced by his favourite Hope’s Peak survivor.  
“Damn, tryna get some hope action with someone else?” Makoto sits himself down, playful smile on his face.  
“Ah, you caught me.” Byakuya catches Makoto’s wrist as he nearly whacks Aiko’s leaves. “Leave the madam alone, she doesn’t need a clumsy dork to ruin her beautiful leaves.”  
“I still can’t get over the fact that you’ve personified your plants.” Makoto drapes his arm around Byakuya’s shoulder. “Technically, I came by to tell you that we’ve got a new boat full of refugees on it’s way, but I guess I could maybe sneak in a little kiss or two if you were super insistent on it.”  
“Consider me insistent then.”  
“Mwah.” Makoto makes the overdramatic sound effect before actually giving Byakuya the promised goods, and his hand disrupts Mr Satoru’s leaves a little. Byakuya will just have to water the fine specimen a little more to make up for it.  
When they break apart after a few more than two kisses - fourteen, to be exact - Makoto leans back a little.  
“You were talking to Hinata?”  
“I suppose I must’ve become some kind of love guru by accident.”  
“Pfft. Imagine telling that to Past You. He would’ve rioted.”  
“He would kick me in the ribs, most likely.”  
“I’d come save you, don’t worry!” Makoto caresses Byakuya’s cheek, giving him another little kiss.  
“Makoto! Stop flirting with your boyfriend, we have preparations to make!” Kyoko yells.  
Oh. She’d been standing a few metres away the whole time.  
“I’ll talk to you properly tonight. You better give me all of Hinata’s love drama, I want all the details.”  
With a final kiss, Makoto stands, waving at Byakuya before disappearing into one of the island’s buildings.  
Togami waters Satoru, mumbling an apology because he’s that idiot that talks to plants, and smiles. Life is good.


	10. Chapter 10

Eleven long, difficult years after the Killing Game, the world was as back to normal as they could hope for; the Tragedy was declared officially over, and the global population were ushered into a new era.  
Byakuya was getting rather sick of the news coverage, so he shut the TV off, and stretched out.  
“Makoto! You’re taking forever!”  
Impatience was one of a few qualities Byakuya couldn’t get rid of, especially when it was time for a five year anniversary dinner. Makoto was terrible at getting ready on time, so he better have some kind of excellent present to make up for it.  
“I’ll be out in a minute babe.” Makoto called back, voice muffled due to the fact their bedroom door was closed.  
It was odd, considering Makoto didn’t tend to care about privacy when dressing, but Byakuya isn’t going to pry.  
A quick read of missed messages will help him pass the time that Makoto is spending on something as ridiculously simple as buttoning a shirt.

[The Gang Group Chat]  
Byakuya: I told you to stop changing the name.  
Byakuya: I will not be in something so ridiculous as a ‘gang’, no matter how much growth I go through. I still have standards.  
[Byakuya changed the group’s name to ‘Motherfuckers Only’]  
Byakuya: There. Fixed.  
Aoi: bitch why r u not on ur date >:(  
Aoi: also the gang is way better than motherfuckers don’t @ me  
Byakuya: Makoto is still getting ready.  
Hiro: bruh, weren’t u supposed to be at the restaurant an hour ago? lol  
Byakuya: Yes.  
Kyoko: Damn, Makoto’s not usually that late... almost as if he’s.... nervous.  
Aoi: KYOKO SHUT UP WE CANT SPOIL IT  
Hiro: huh? spoil what???  
Byakuya: You’ve certainly piqued my curiosity.  
Kyoko: Very mysterious.  
Toko: ,,, I thought Byakuya would’ve figured it out by now  
Toko: Wow.  
Toko: Maybe he’s dumber than he appears.  
Byakuya: Toko, shut up.  
Toko: Make me >:)  
Hiro: no no guys do u all know something I don’t?? What the Fuck  
Kyoko: What do you mean Hiro? I have no idea what you’re talking about.  
Hiro: im cryin plz tell me   
[Makoto changed the group’s name to ‘KYOKO BE QUIET CHALLENGE’]

Byakuya quirks his brow at Makoto’s evident panic, but is quickly distracted by Makoto’s exit from their bedroom.  
“Sorry, I, um... couldn’t find my socks.” Makoto leans over and kisses Byakuya’s cheek.  
“A likely story.” Byakuya entwines their fingers together. “Shall we?”  
Makoto nods, and they leave their apartment, strolling down the street to the fancy little restaurant a few blocks over; while Byakuya was very used to commoner things by now (he was living in a tiny apartment that had shitty lighting and also required way too much cleaning), his expensive tastes in food were something he couldn’t get over; measly ramen was nothing in comparison to the worldly dishes he’d been raised on.  
Still, income wasn’t great, so the fact that they were going to such a high-class place was lucky, if by lucky you mean carefully budgeted.  
“Hey ‘Kuya?”  
“Mhm?”  
“You look handsome tonight.”  
“Just tonight? Wow, I can’t believe you think I’m ugly all the-”  
“You know what I mean asshole!” Makoto pushes his shoulder gently.  
It’s been a long time since a playful shove threw him into memories of his father. Byakuya could happily take it and push back, as if gentle touches are all he’s ever felt.  
“I know. Thank you. All the time you spent getting ready was clearly worth it. You’re gorgeous.”  
“You think I’m gorgeous? That’s so embarrassing for you.”  
“You’re right. It’s very embarrassing to only be the second most attractive man wherever we go.”  
“Ah, it’s okay. Just means that I get to have you all to myself.”  
“You’re so selfish Makoto.”  
“Um, okay Mister Byakuya ‘Don’t Eat Those Pastries They Are Mine and I Refuse To Share’ Togami.”  
“And yet you ate one anyway...” Byakuya shakes his head overdramatically.  
“Yeah obviously! You stole one of my ties, I was just getting even.”  
“I will not hesitate to steal more of your clothes if you keep acting like that.”  
Makoto smirks. “Noo, don’t do that, I hate seeing you in my clothes. It reminds me how much of a secret softie you are and you know how much I can’t stand that!”  
Byakuya lets Makoto’s boisterous tones wash over him, desperate to soak in as much as he possibly could.  
He doesn’t want it to go away, but after tonight...  
The idea of a rejection makes him feel sick.  
Still, he doesn’t let on about the little ring he’s carrying. Makoto is probably the type of guy who loves overly sappy, romantic, surprise proposals, so Byakuya is going to give him one. Even if he thinks he’ll be bad at it.  
Which is why after the restaurant, they’re going to walk to the small garden that Byakuya’s been secretly cultivating, in a little patch of land he bought off an old acquaintance. It’s filled with roses, lilies, hyacinths, pansies - all Makoto’s favourites. And it will probably all go smoothly.  
He’d even made sure that Komaru was definitely okay with the whole ‘marrying her brother’ thing, getting the traditional blessing, although she had looked at him funny for a second, before shrugging and going “alright”.  
So she was probably fine with it. And everything is probably going to be fine.

Dinner passed by with their typical banter, compliments and flirtations sprinkled in. They split the cheque as usual, and Byakuya psyched himself up to take Makoto to the garden. It wasn’t too far. He just needed to drag him along and avoid questions about where they were going.  
“Honey, can we go-”  
“Yes.” Byakuya didn’t even think before agreeing to wherever Makoto was taking him. Being called ‘honey’ shut his brain down entirely, every single time, and Makoto knew that, and shit, how were they supposed to go to the garden now?  
“Cool. I’ll call a taxi.”  
Somewhere they’d have to drive to? There’s no way he’ll be able to subtlety get the driver to take a ‘wrong turn’, not with how much he doesn’t want to leave Makoto’s warm hand hold.  
The taxi arrives, Byakuya still trying to come up with a convoluted suggestion or something to make Makoto reconsider, but he runs out of time.  
He watches Makoto hand the driver a slip of paper.  
Hm?  
The driver nods, and Makoto pulls Byakuya into the back with him.  
“Where are we going?”  
“It’s a secret.” Makoto smiles, and kisses Byakuya when the driver looks at the road.  
Thinking about it, Makoto definitely seems nervous. His eyes are darting around more than usual and his fidgeting has increased by at least 50%. Feeling a little clammy too.  
“Are you okay?”  
“Huh? Yeah, obviously. Are you?”  
“Yes.”  
No. He’s slightly pissed off that the many hours he’s put into his elaborate proposal plan are going to be postponed. But Makoto doesn’t need to know that.  
The drive is quiet; Byakuya’s not too comfortable talking so freely with Makoto in front of strangers, so they sit in companionable silence, all the way until the driver stops.  
Makoto thanks them, and leads Byakuya out the car.  
They’re in the middle of nowhere; some kind of forest maybe?  
He doesn’t ask, just follows Makoto as he walks in, hand grip tight.  
“Do you recognise this place?”  
“No.”  
“I didn’t think you would.”  
That only makes Byakuya more confused, to the point that he just has to question it.  
“We’ve been here before?”  
“Mhm. A long time ago.”  
The trees get sparser and sparser, until the land is barren, only a few patches of grass springing up occasionally.  
And then they reach the building.  
Oh.  
“W-Why are we-?” Byakuya feels his throat tighten.  
It doesn’t make sense for Makoto to bring him here. Why are they going back to the place they were tormented in for their five year celebration?  
“We’re going inside.”  
“Why?” Byakuya can’t stop his voice from wavering.  
“I need to show you something.”  
Hope’s Peak Academy looms over them, and Makoto doesn’t seem put off by the memories at all.  
“I promise it’ll be okay.”  
Byakuya trusts Makoto with every bone in his body. If Makoto says it’ll be okay, then it’ll be okay.

He clutches Makoto’s hand tightly as they push the door open. The air isn’t polluted anymore, so it doesn’t hurt to breathe, and the lights are all on, as though it hasn’t been abandoned for over a decade.  
“We’re going to the library.”  
Byakuya doesn’t reply, but he does take a mental note of the string lights along the walls. They haven’t always been there, he’s pretty sure.  
They’re silent, all the way until Makoto opens the library door, and it’s filled with candles and string lights and there’s a blanket on the floor, with two slices of cake, and there are photos everywhere. Photos of the two of them, photos of them with friends - both pre and post Tragedy - and... a case file on the floor?  
“You okay?” Makoto asks carefully.  
Byakuya nods. Despite everything, it’s... nice to be here.  
Like closure long overdue.  
“Thought we could make a happy memory here. Bookend it all.”  
“I think... that’s exactly what I need.”  
“Good! I know it was gamble to take you here but... I thought you’d like it. So I went with my gut.”  
“Did you set all of this up? When?” Byakuya glances at the candles. “Those are newly lit.”  
“Kyoko, Hina and Toko all helped. They, uh, wanted to give me a hand with something.”  
“I’m assuming the case file’s not meant to be here.”  
“Huh? Oh. Right. We could always read it, for old time’s sake?”  
Makoto’s being weird. But it might be nice to relive the excitement of mystery solving, with all the tension and sadness and danger subtracted from the experience.  
Byakuya did like solving puzzles after all.  
He sits on a cushion, and Makoto does too, wrapping an arm around him, as they peer at the file together.  
It’s reminiscent of when they read the Genocide Jack file, albeit with the malicious intentions gone away.  
Byakuya flicks it open.  
The title is... surprising.

Case <3 69 <3  
Byakuya Togami and Makoto Naegi

Byakuya quirks a brow at his partner. He’s pretty sure they’ve done nothing illegal, nothing requiring a case file anyway.  
“I thought she was joking about the sixty nine part.” Makoto mumbles under his breath.  
It only makes things more confusing.

Case Synopsis  
The relationship between Byakuya ‘Stuck Up Dickhole’ Togami and Makoto ‘Annoying Little Bitch’ Naegi is worthy of study, due to how long it took for them to get together, and also because they had a first meeting twice.  
The first first meeting took place at the Hope’s Peak Entrance Ceremony, when Class 78 were inducted into the school. Witness statements confirm that their meeting took place in accordance with this transcript:

BYAKUYA (in a pining, secretly flirtatious tone): I don’t talk to peasants and commoners because I, Byakuya Togami, am the heir to the Togami corporation and as a Togami, Togami Togami Togami, Togami Togami...  
[Byakuya Togami continues to cite his last name to emphasise his superior status]  
MAKOTO (in a soft boy, uwu please love me demeanour): Haha wow Togami, that’s so wild, haha.

They proceeded to fawn over each other from afar, never allowing their hidden affections be revealed.  
Their second first meeting went similarly, despite taking place after a memory wipe. Their feelings for each other were very evident, despite the apparent scorn. One witness supplied that the interaction followed this line of dialogue:

BYAKUYA (takes his shirt off): Wow fuck you, as a Togami, I hate you, and everything you stand for.  
MAKOTO (taking off his pants): Yeah? Well, you’re sexy so shut up.

What followed was a lot of romantic and sexual tension and mutual pining, which lasted for a grand total of six years, to the annoyance of all of their friends, except Yasuhiro Hagakure, who is an oblivious dipshit. Kyoko Kirigiri, who everyone can agree is the coolest and most incredible, hottest and smartest individual known to mankind, singlehandedly forced them to confront their feelings, with an excellent four step plan:

1\. Prompt Makoto Naegi to hold a mock therapy session for all six Killing Game survivors, in order to allow Byakuya Togami to acknowledge and deal with every single one of his emotions (and also benefit everyone else).  
2\. Let Byakuya Togami know that his feelings are blindingly obvious to anyone with an IQ in the double digits.  
3\. Subtly engineer a position in which neither can escape; Byakuya asleep in Makoto’s office, wherein Makoto’s mutual affection is forcibly revealed, and a discussion occurs.  
4\. They make out.

The rest of this case file is made up of evidence in the form of photographs, letters and other physical formats that directly express just how much they love each other. Advisory warning: disgusting amounts of affection ahead.

Byakuya smiles to himself. He’s unsure why Makoto’s asked Kyoko to create a mock case file for them, let alone why he trusted her with very personal photos and letters and notes and odd trinkets and souvenirs from their five years together, but it’s very sweet, if you ignore Kyoko’s case synopsis.  
They spend time looking at each and every article of ‘evidence’, and Byakuya feels his memories pour over him.  
It’s very mushy. It must’ve been Makoto who arranged the ‘evidence’ because there are little comments squiggled next to everything, loving words in Makoto’s messy, familiar handwriting.  
“I love you.” Byakuya mumbles at some point.  
Makoto kisses him softly. “I love you too. Sorry about the synopsis. I’m pretty sure I told Kyoko to keep it simple and sweet.”  
“Of course she wouldn’t do that. It’s Kyoko.”  
Makoto laughs. “Yeah. You’re right.”  
Byakuya flicks to the last page and feels his heart stutter.  
What the fuck!  
“This is ridiculous.” Byakuya mutters, taking in the words carefully.  
“What? Huh? Um, I don’t know, I guess I figured that maybe -” Makoto falls over himself, slamming the file shut.  
“I was supposed to be the one to propose.”  
“What?” Makoto looks up, bright red.  
Byakuya can feel his own face heat. “I was going to take you somewhere tonight. And I was going to make a big show of it. But you beat me to it.” He feels himself smile foolishly. “I love that about you. You’re someone I can’t guess at all. You surprise me.”  
“Wait, fuck, I ruined your proposal?”  
“Well, yes, but-”  
“I’m sorry!”  
“Makoto. It’s okay. It’s more than okay.” Byakuya reaches into his pocket for his ring, offering it to Makoto. “Either way, we’re engaged, are we not?”  
Makoto starts grinning, presenting Byakuya with his own ring. “Yes. We are!”  
Making out on the floor of the Hope’s Peak Academy library is not what Byakuya expected to come of his five year anniversary, but it’s certainly not unwelcome.  
It’s good to have a warm memory of this place, completely absent of the bittersweetness the others had. This memory was on a whole other level, and Byakuya knows it will remain among his happiest moments for the rest of his life.

If someone asked Byakuya about the Tragedy, twenty five years after it happened, he wouldn’t talk about the actual events. He would tell you about everything that came after; tell you that inevitably, things always turn out alright, tell you that healing is possible, so possible, but it will take time and at times it will hurt. He would tell you that even the hardest of times can still allow for soft, intimate moments, you can still make room for happiness, and it’s okay to move on, you can’t stay lost in the past forever. Byakuya would smile to himself as he talks about how the strongest bonds were not forged because of the danger, because of the difficulty of staying alive, but despite it. And he would talk about how incredible his husband is; providing you don’t walk away from the conversation, he could talk endlessly about everything Makoto Naegi-Togami has done, and how lucky he is to have become Byakuya Naegi-Togami. He wouldn’t hesitate to wax lyrical about his fallen classmates, wouldn’t think twice before mentioning them, because they deserved to be talked about, because they deserved to be honoured and recognised. Makoto would walk in mid conversation, and jump in, offering his own tidbits, absolutely none of it helpful for the history essay that’s due tomorrow. It’s only when this essay gets mentioned that Byakuya would roll his eyes, look a terrible Makoto and huff a quiet “Are we sure we’re raising them right? Leaving an essay until the night before?”  
Makoto would laugh, pointing out that he used to leave work until the day it was due; Byakuya would respond disdainfully, claiming that Makoto’s work ethic had been terrible and really needed to be worked on. Somehow, through convoluted jumps in conversation, they’d start getting misty eyed over their past (they’d probably start telling the proposal story AGAIN), and their child would sigh, sending a quick text to their favourite ‘aunt’, and Kyoko would tell that child to include all of these personal details in their essay, because talking about a historical event isn’t worth anything if you ignore what it meant to those it affected.  
That’s what would happen if someone decided to ask Byakuya about the Tragedy once all is said and done. So their child goes to another aunt, Toko, because who better to tell the history of the tragedy than the Ultimate Writing Prodigy?  
Toko ponders for a moment, listening to the kid’s lamentations about their overly sappy parents, and starts her tale with a smirk.

“Now that the Remnants of Despair were...”

The child groans, knowing full well where this was going, but adjusts their position to get comfortable.  
May as well enjoy the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Idk if that last part’s a bit of a cop out (I’m very sorry if it is) but I felt like that was the proper way to finish this off. I’d like to thank you all for reading, and all your comments that helped keep me motivated to finish this!! I really hope the ending matched your expectations. Thank you for taking to time to read my little fic, it means a lot. I hope you’re all stayin as safe and healthy and happy as you can be; I believe in you! 💞💞💞


End file.
